Over 125 UK Bank Branches to Close This Week, Including Major West Midlands Sites

Over 125 UK Bank Branches to Close This Week, Including Major West Midlands Sites

Accessing in-person banking services is set to become significantly more challenging for countless customers across the United Kingdom this week, as more than 125 bank branches are scheduled to close their doors permanently. This substantial wave of closures includes numerous locations within the West Midlands region, directly impacting local communities and residents who rely on traditional banking facilities.

Details of the Closure Announcements

The closures follow earlier announcements from major banking groups, with Lloyds Banking Group leading the charge. In January, the group revealed plans to shut down 136 branches by March 2026. Now, an additional 95 branches are slated for closure, affecting customers of Lloyds Bank, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland. Specifically, 53 Lloyds branches, 31 Halifax sites, and 11 Bank of Scotland locations will close under this new scheme, with the process scheduled to occur between May 2026 and March 2027.

Once all previously announced closures are completed, Lloyds Banking Group will maintain a reduced network of approximately 610 branches nationwide. In a parallel move, NatWest has also declared the closure of 32 branches, contributing to a total of 230 banks scheduled to close in 2026. An additional 15 branches are due to shutter in 2027, with 28 more awaiting final closure dates.

Regional Impact and Statistics

The recent closure announcements predominantly affect communities in England, with 108 branches set to close there. Scotland will see 11 closures, and Wales will experience 8. Within England, the closures are distributed across various regions, including 25 in London, 17 in the South East, 13 in the North West, and 12 in the West Midlands. Notably, four of the West Midlands closures are in Birmingham, highlighting a significant local impact.

Since February 2022, when major banking groups committed to a voluntary agreement to assess the impact of each closure, a staggering total of 2,236 branches have either shut down or announced plans to close. This equates to an average of at least one closure per day, or eight per week, underscoring a rapid shift away from physical banking locations.

Mitigation Efforts and Community Support

To address the challenges posed by these closures, initiatives like the LINK scheme have been established to scrutinise each shutdown and ensure that vulnerable customers and small businesses are not left behind in the transition to cashless payments and virtual banking. When closures leave communities without any local bank, banking hubs or free ATMs are often set up to fill the gap.

Nick Quin, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at LINK, emphasised the ongoing need for cash access, stating, "While more people choose to use contactless and digital payments, there are still millions who rely on and prefer to pay using cash. Alongside ATMs and Post Offices, banking hubs continue to help people and businesses to readily access and deposit cash."

Gareth Oakley, CEO at Cash Access UK, added, "We're delighted to see the difference that banking hubs have made for communities across the UK. It's a clear reminder that while more people are choosing to bank digitally, cash and face-to-face services still remain essential for many." To date, 212 hubs have been opened, with plans to expand further in communities most in need.

Full List of Banks Closing

The closures encompass a wide range of locations, including:

• NatWest: Aldershot, Ashford (Middlesex), Barnet, Boston, Brentwood, Eastcote, Godalming, Grays, Halifax, Harlow, Hartlepool, Hemel Hempstead, Herne Bay, Hornchurch, Hove, Kirkby Lonsdale, London - Fulham Broadway, London - Spitalfields, London - Sydenham, London - Tooting, London - West End, Loughton - Old Station Road - Sainsburys, Manchester - Cheetham Hill, Manchester - Chorlton, Orpington, Palmers Green, Pontefract, Sheffield - Attercliffe - Attercliffe Road, South Shields, Southall, Waltham Cross, Welwyn Garden City.
• Lloyds Bank: Aberdare, Altrincham, Birkenhead, Birmingham - Blackheath, Birmingham - Bordesley Green - Bordesley Green - 3, Birmingham - Highters Heath, Birmingham - Upper Kingstanding, Bournemouth, Bristol - Fishponds - Fishponds Road - Morrisons, Cardiff - Victoria Park - Cowbridge Road East, City of London - Cheapside, Clevedon, Coalville, Crowborough, Daventry, Didcot, Ebbw Vale, Golders Green, Heswall, Hinckley, Hoddesdon, Honiton, Horncastle, Hull - Hessle Road, Hull - Ings Road, Kingswinford, Lancaster, Llangefni, London - Camberwell, London - Fitzrovia, London - London Bridge, London - Streatham, London - Victoria, London - West End, Lymington, Moreton-in-Marsh, Newmarket (Suffolk), Norwich - Aylsham Road - 3, Reading - Woodley, Redhill, Ringwood, Sevenoaks, Southam, Staines-upon-Thames, Stoke-on-Trent - Longton, Street, Swansea - Winch Wen - Carmel Road, Tewkesbury, Uttoxeter, Wareham, Wednesbury, West Byfleet, Wolverhampton - Tettenhall.
• Halifax: Ashington, Ashton-under-Lyne, Billingham, Bognor Regis, Bridgend, Cardiff - Roath, Chichester, Chorley, Croydon, Cwmbran, Doncaster - Armthorpe, Ellesmere Port, Goole, Greenford, Halesowen, Horsham, Leeds - Bramley, Liverpool - Hunts Cross Shopping Park, London - Hammersmith, London - Pentonville - Chapel Market, London - Surrey Docks - Russell Place, Manchester - Didsbury, Mexborough, Nottingham - Beeston, Nottingham - West Bridgford, Shipley, Skelmersdale, Southgate, Sutton Coldfield, Thornaby-on-Tees, Torquay - Lymington Road - 2.
• Bank of Scotland: Aberdeen - Bridge Of Don - Scotstown Road, Balivanich, Blairgowrie, Broughty Ferry, Glasgow - Baillieston - Barrachnie Road, Haddington, Kelso, Lochgilphead, Penicuik - John Street, Rutherglen, Stonehaven.