EIGHTEEN bank branches are set to close their doors for good in April, taking the total closures for the first quarter of 2025 to a whopping 88.
At least one branch will close every other day throughout the month, making it even harder to access banking services on the high street.
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Data from ATM provider LINK showed that branches will close in towns and cities including Chippenham, Dewsbury, North Berwick and Hitchin.
The banks set to close branches during April include NatWest, Halifax, Lloyds, Bank of Scotland and Barclays.
Halifax will shutter the most branches with eight locations set to close. NatWest will close five, Lloyds and Bank of Scotland will both shutter two and Barclays one.
By the end of April, 2025 will have seen 88 branches close their doors.
The same four months in 2024 had seen 170 branches close their doors.
Research from consumer champion Which? has found that UK banks and building societies have closed about 6,293 branches since January 2015.
On average, that works out at almost two branches shutting every single day for a decade.
Which? said this represents 63% of all the branches that were open at the start of 2015.
And, more are set to follow with the consumer champion reporting that 282 closures are already planned for 2025.
Here is the full list of banks shutting for good in April, and their closure dates:
Halifax
- Malton – April 8
- Chippenham – April 15
- Newbury – April 16
- Northallerton – April 28
- Oswestry – April 28
- Runcorn: Halton Lea Shopping Centre – April 29
- Tamworth – April 29
- Witney – April 30
NatWest
- Cleveleys – April 28
- Dewsbury – April 28
- Bishop Auckland – April 29
- Leeds: Chapel Allerton – April 30
- Middleton – April 30
Lloyds
- Kenilworth – April 2
- Hitchin – April 7
Bank of Scotland
- North Berwick – April 2
- Langholm – April 7
Barclays
The closures come as more customers use online banking to manage their finances.
With use dwindling, banks have closed down sites to help cut their costs.
Which? data shows that Barclays is the individual bank to have closed the most branches, with 1,236 sites shuttered.
It’s followed by NatWest (904), Lloyds (821), HSBC (743) and Santander (477).
RBS has shut 473, TSB 451, Halifax 308, Virgin Money 277, Bank of Scotland 182, the Co-Op bank 182 and Nationwide 95.
As well as having closed the lowest number of branches, Nationwide is the provider with the most sites remaining open across the country.
It has 606 branches operating and has said it will not leave any town or city where it is based until at least 2028.
What to do if your local bank is set to close
While bank branch use is falling around 39% of people over 65 were found to not use online banking and were at “high risk of financial exclusion” as a result of closures.
If a recent bank or building society closure has left you without a close branch, you have some alternatives.
You can carry out basic banking tasks at your nearest Post Office.
You can find your nearest Post Office branch by using the locator tool on its website.
Some banks also offer a mobile banking service – where they bring a bus to your area offering services you can usually get at a physical branch.
Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.
Contact your bank to see what services they have available, and when they might next be in your area.
New super ATMs are being rolled out across the UK where branch closures have left residents unable to access essential banking services.
These ATMs will allow customers to withdraw funds, access their balance, change PIN numbers and deposit cash.
Bank of Scotland, Barclays, Halifax, Lloyds, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank are already signed up to allow deposits, at the super ATMs.
Banking hubs are also being opened across the UK with 250 set to be available by the end of 2025.
Banking hubs typically feature a counter service operated by the Post Office as standard, enabling customers to conduct routine banking transactions conveniently.
Each hub also has a private area where customers can consult with staff representing their banks for more complex matters.
What services do banking hubs offer?
BANKING hubs offer a range of services to bridge the gap left by the closure of local branches.
Operated by the Post Office, these hubs allow customers to perform routine transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, and balance enquiries.
Each hub features private booths where customers can discuss more complex banking matters with staff from their respective banks.
Staff from different banks are available on a rotational basis, ensuring that customers have access to a wide range of banking services throughout the week.
Additionally, customers can receive advice and support on various financial products and services, including loans, mortgages, and savings accounts.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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