Almost 250 banks are due to close in 2026 as major banks continue their withdrawal from high streets and town centres across the United Kingdom. Since 1 January, 138 banks have shut, with 82 branches closing in June alone and more to follow throughout the year. In total, closure dates have been fixed for 245 branches of the major banks by the end of this year.
Lloyds Banking Group hardest hit
Lloyds customers have been most affected, with 82 branches already shut or scheduled to close in 2026. This is alongside 43 branches of Halifax and 28 branches of Bank of Scotland. The Lloyds Banking Group announced it would close 166 branches in 2026 and 2027, including branches of Halifax, Bank of Scotland, and Lloyds Bank. The decision was blamed on customers shifting from in-person banking to mobile services.
Other major banks closing branches
Santander is closing 54 branches this year, while NatWest is closing 35 banks. The closures affect every part of the UK: 31 branches in Scotland, 16 in Wales, four in Northern Ireland, and the rest across England.
Regional impact in England
The South East region will see the most closures in England, with 37, followed by London (28), the South West (23), and the West Midlands. Among council areas, Birmingham and Cornwall will each lose six branches this year, the joint-highest loss. Cornwall has been hit harder than any other part of the UK, with 42 branch closures in the last four years.
Banking hubs and cash access
Since February 2022, when all major banking groups committed to a voluntary agreement to assess the impact of each closure, a total of 2,167 branches have shut or announced plans to close – an average of nearly 10 closures each week. The LINK initiative scrutinises each closure to ensure vulnerable customers and small businesses are not left behind. When closures leave communities without a local bank, banking hubs or free ATMs are set up. LINK has recommended 277 bank hubs so far.
Government review
In May, the Government announced an independent review into access to banking, led by Richard Lloyd, former Director General of Which? and interim Chair of the Financial Conduct Authority. The review includes a consultation on the impact of branch closures. Currently, closure assessments focus on cash access, but this could be extended to include access to banking, potentially increasing the number of recommended hubs from 350 to 550.
Nick Quin, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at LINK, said: 'More people are choosing to bank and pay for things digitally. Many rely entirely on their smartphones and don’t carry cash or even a wallet. That means cash use is falling, but it remains critical – over £76bn was withdrawn from LINK cash machines last year. Whenever a bank branch closes, LINK will assess the impact to see if additional cash services are required. We’re committed to protecting the cash infrastructure for the millions of people who still rely on it.'
Gareth Oakley, CEO of Cash Access UK, added: 'The way people are banking is changing as more choose digital options. But for those who still rely on cash and face-to-face banking, more banking hubs are opening every week. We've opened more than 200 now, including 100 in 2025 alone. What's brilliant about hubs is that we can serve customers of all major high street banks in one location. They're getting busier too, with on average around 150 customer transactions every day. There's a real buzz about them. Hubs alongside deposit services and other new cash solutions will continue to help businesses and consumers access and deposit cash when needed.'
