Santander has confirmed it will not close any more UK branches beyond the 58 it had already decided to shut. The bank's new chief executive, Mahesh Aditya, described branches as an "important part of our strategy" while announcing the pledge, which ensures 305 Santander and 175 TSB locations across the UK will remain operational for at least the next 18 months.
Cost-cutting and AI focus
However, 58 UK branches are still scheduled to close, with these decisions having been made previously and many already ceasing operation. The bank is also pursuing cost reductions throughout its operations as it increases its reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, targeting savings of at least £400 million by the end of 2028 following its £2.65 billion acquisition of TSB, which was finalised in May.
Nationwide has emerged as the industry frontrunner on branch commitments, pledging late last year to maintain all 696 of its combined Nationwide and Virgin Money branches until at least 2030. Santander's half-year results released on Wednesday, July 22, revealed profits plummeted by nearly a third after absorbing a near-£180 million impact related to the motor finance scandal, alongside increased bad debt and restructuring costs.
Profit drop and motor finance scandal
The high street banking giant, owned by Banco Santander, announced a 31% drop in pre-tax profits to £528 million for the six months ending June 30. This came after an additional £179 million was put aside during the first quarter to address expenses linked to the motor finance mis-selling scandal, which saw millions of agreements sold with undisclosed commission by various UK lenders.
Full list of UK Santander branches closing
- Andover - 33 High Street Andover, Hampshire, SP10 1LJ
- Banbridge - 34 Newry Street, Banbridge, County Down, BT32 3HA
- Bangor MN - 64 Main Street, Bangor, County Down, BT20 5AQ
- Berwick On Tweed - 37 Marygate, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland, TD15 1AT
- Bexhill 45 DR - 45 Devonshire Rd, Bexhill-On-Sea, East Sussex, TN40 1BD
- Bishop Auckland - 64 Newgate Street, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 7JA
- Boston - 1 Wide Bargate, Boston, Lincolnshire, PE21 6QY
- Bridgend - 13 Adare Street, Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, CF31 1ET
- Bridgwater - 18 Fore Street, Bridgwater, Somerset, TA6 3NG
- Cwmbran - 11 North Walk, Cwmbran, Gwent, NP44 1XF
- Dover - 24 Cannon Street, Dover, Kent, CT16 1ST
- Dunstable - 11 High Street North, Dunstable, Bedfordshire, LU6 1HY
- East Grinstead - 56-58 London Road, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 1BJ
- Enniskillen - 4 Church Street, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, BT74 7EB
- Evesham - 17 Bridge Street, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 4SQ
- Glengormley - 1-3 Farmley Road, Glengormley, County Antrim, BT36 7TR
- Golders Green - 640-642 Finchley Road, Golders Green, London, NW11 7RU
- Gosport - 128 High Street, Gosport, Hampshire, PO12 1DT
- Haverfordwest - 37 Bridge Street, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 2AD
- Heswall - 143-145 Telegraph Road, Heswall, Merseyside, CH60 7SE
- Holyhead - 40 Market Street, Holyhead, Gwynedd, LL65 1UN
- Huntingdon - 44 High Street, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE29 3AJ
- Kirkintilloch - 45 Cowgate, Kirkintilloch, Lanarkshire, G66 1HW
- Leighton Buzzard - 1 Hockliffe Street, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, LU7 1HG
- Leyland - 45 Hough Lane, Leyland, Lancashire, PR25 2SA
- Liskeard - Barras Street, Liskeard, Cornwall, PL14 6AL
- Lytham St Annes - 54 St Annes Rd West, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, FY8 1RF
- Macclesfield - 10 Mill Street, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 6PA
- Mansfield - 9 Stockwell Gate, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG18 1JY
- Maldon - 53 High Street, Maldon, Essex, CM9 5PT
- Melton Mowbray - 5 Nottingham Street, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE13 1NN
- Merthyr Tydfil - 15 Market Square, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan, CF47 8DG
- Morley - 91 Queen Street, Morley, West Yorkshire, LS27 8EF
- Mold - 31 High Street, Mold, Clwyd, CH7 1BQ
- Newbury - 90 Northbrook Street, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 1AA
- Newton Abbot - 3-5 Queen Street, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 2AG
- Northallerton - 99/100 High Street, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, DL7 8PP
- North Walsham - 6 Market Place, North Walsham, Norfolk, NR28 9BP
- Ormskirk - 2 Moor Street, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 2XN
- Pontefract - 23 Market Place, Pontefract, West Yorkshire, WF8 1DS
- Ramsgate - 40 High Street, Ramsgate, Kent, CT11 9AG
- Redcar - 60 High Street, Redcar, Cleveland, TS10 3DR
- Redditch - 14 Evesham Walk, Redditch, Worcestershire, B97 4YS
- Ringwood - 16 High Street, Ringwood, Hampshire, BH24 1BG
- Saffron Walden - 35 King Street, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB10 1EU
- Scunthorpe - 138 High St, Scunthorpe, South Humberside, DN15 6ET
- Shirley - 223 Stratford Road, Shirley, West Midlands, B90 3AH
- Stafford - 1 Market Square, Stafford, Staffordshire, ST16 2JH
- Stranraer - 30 George Street, Stranraer, Wigtownshire, DG9 7RL
- Stratford - 21 Wood Street, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6JU
- Tonbridge - 12 The Pavilion, Tonbridge, Kent, TN9 1TE
- Turriff - 17 High Street, Turriff, Aberdeenshire, AB53 4ED
- Urmston FR - 6-8 Flixton Road, Urmston, Greater Manchester, M41 5AS
- Uckfield - 15 High Street, Uckfield, East Sussex, TN22 1AG
- Welwyn Garden City - 60 Howardsgate, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL8 6BP
- Whitehaven - 22 King Street, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 7JN
- Wilmslow - 39 Grove Street, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 1DT
- Woking - Unit 38 The Peacocks, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6GD
