More than 100 bank branches are scheduled to close in 2026 as part of the ongoing trend of reducing presence on the high street.
This year, closure dates have been confirmed for 73 branches of major banks like Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland. An additional 29 branches have announced closure plans without finalizing dates, totaling 102 closures, with Lloyds leading the way with 40 branches nearing closure.
Among the upcoming closures are 18 Santander branches, 17 Bank of Scotland branches, 15 Halifax branches, and seven NatWest branches. Last year, Lloyds and Santander had already announced closures, attributing the decision to the shift of customers towards mobile banking.
By the end of this month, 35 branches will have closed, with two more closures in February and an additional 23 in March. The remaining closures are scheduled for July and October or are pending confirmation. Cornwall is particularly affected by these closures, with four banks set to close this year and two without a fixed closure date.
In recent years, there have been multiple branch closures, with a total of 45 banks closing between 2022 and 2025. Scotland’s Highland council area is expected to lose six banks this year, including two without an announced closure date. Scotland is set to lose 20 banks, while five are due to close in Wales and one in Northern Ireland. In England, the South East and South West regions are the most impacted, with 17 bank branches closing in each region.
Since February 2022, when major banking groups agreed to assess the impact of each closure, a total of 2,065 branches have either closed or announced plans for closure. The LINK initiative oversees these closures to ensure that vulnerable customers and small businesses are not left without access to banking services.
As more people embrace digital banking, there is a continued focus on providing cash services where needed. Banking hubs and free ATMs are being set up in communities where local bank closures leave gaps in services. Both LINK and Cash Access UK are committed to maintaining cash infrastructure to support those who rely on traditional banking services.
By adapting to changing banking preferences and introducing new solutions, such as banking hubs and deposit services, businesses and consumers can continue to access cash services conveniently.