Banks have also promised to fill gaps left by branch closures by installing 67 automated shared deposit services in some locations across the country. However, none have yet opened.
Since 2015, Natwest has closed more branches than any other operator, shutting 1,147 outlets when its RBS brand is included. Barclays has scrapped 962 and Lloyds 629.
Banks have blamed closures on a lack of demand amidst the rise of Internet and mobile banking, but consumer campaigners have said that disappearing high street branches are increasingly isolating the elderly in rural areas.
Cat Farrow, chief operating officer of Cash Access UK, said: “We have seven hubs up and running and they’re already having a big impact on communities by bringing back cash and basic banking services to residents and small businesses.
“More hubs have been recommended and we’re busy finding locations, negotiating leases, and refitting buildings. A number of hubs are now being fitted out and are on track to open before the busy Christmas season, including the first hubs in Wales and Northern Ireland.”
There has also been a notable decline of free-to-use ATMs in recent years, according to Which? data.
In June 2023, there were 14,396 fewer free-to-use ATMs in the UK than there were in August 2018, a decrease of over 27pc.
