One of the UK's largest high street banks has shuttered another significant wave of local branches, impacting communities across the country. Lloyds Bank, which serves more than 28 million customers, confirmed the closure of 17 locations during November 2025 alone.
A Wave of November Closures
The latest round of closures is part of a broader schedule announced by the banking group, which runs from May 2025 through to March 2026. November proved to be a particularly active month for shutdowns. The bank ceased operations in towns and city districts including Sheffield (Woodhouse), Blandford Forum, Chard, and Shipston-on-Stour. Further closures took place in Debden, East Grinstead, Loughton, Ferndown, and Pontardawe.
Other locations affected earlier in the month were Coventry (Foleshill), Dunstable, Feltham, Plymstock, Biggleswade, Hexham, Manchester (Newton Heath), and Bristol Bishopsworth on Church Road. Lloyds is not acting in isolation; several rival high street names also closed sites in November, highlighting a continuing trend away from physical banking.
The Wider Picture for UK High Street Banking
This move by Lloyds contributes to a stark national statistic. According to data from the consumer champion Which?, banks and building societies have shut 6,443 branches since the start of 2015. This equates to an average of around 53 closures every single month over the past decade, fundamentally changing how Britons access financial services.
In response to the branch network changes, a spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group stated: "When making changes to our branch network, we always look to understand the impact on our customers – including how they continue to access banking services." The group emphasised its shift towards digital and telephone services, alongside its 'co-servicing' model which allows customers to manage accounts from Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland in one place, whether online, via app, or in a remaining branch.
Other Banks Closing Branches in November
The trend extends across the sector. In the same period, other major banks also closed specific branches:
- Bank of Scotland: Moffat (Nov 19) and Thornhill (Nov 3).
- Barclays: Northampton Wellingborough Road (Nov 28).
- Halifax: Bolton (Nov 20), Hexham (Nov 10), Wickford (Nov 10).
- NatWest: Garstang (Nov 10).
- Santander: Surrey Quays (Nov 10).
The ongoing reduction in physical bank branches places increased importance on digital banking literacy and alternative service points like the Post Office for basic transactions. For many communities, however, the loss of a local branch represents a significant reduction in accessible financial services and a further blow to the high street.
