More than 100 bank branches are scheduled to shut down in 2026 as part of the ongoing trend of high street bank closures. This year alone, closure dates have been confirmed for 73 branches across major banks such as Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland.
An additional 29 branches have announced closure plans without finalizing dates, bringing the total number of closures to 102. Lloyds is at the forefront with 40 branches nearing closure or awaiting confirmation of an end date.
Santander, Bank of Scotland, Halifax, and NatWest are also set to close 18, 17, 15, and 7 branches respectively. The decision to close branches was attributed to the shift in customer behavior towards mobile banking services over in-person visits.
By the end of this month, 35 branches will have closed, with two more closures in February and 23 in March. The remaining closures are expected in July and October, with some dates yet to be determined. Cornwall has been significantly impacted by these closures, with four banks already scheduled to shut down and two more pending closure dates this year.
In the past years, there were 13 closures in 2025, six in 2024, 14 in 2023, and six in 2022, totaling 45 bank closures. The Highland council area in Scotland is also facing potential closure of six banks this year, including two without confirmed closure dates.
Scotland is projected to lose 20 banks, with five closures in Wales and one in Northern Ireland. Among the 76 remaining closures in England, the South East and South West regions will be most affected, with 17 bank branches closing in each area.
Since February 2022, major banking groups have been assessing the impact of each closure, resulting in a total of 2,065 branches either closing or announcing closure plans. The initiative aims to ensure that vulnerable customers and small businesses are not left without access to banking services during the transition to digital banking.
In response to community needs after bank closures, banking hubs and free ATMs are established to provide essential services. The shift towards digital banking has prompted the opening of more banking hubs to cater to those still reliant on cash services.
Nick Quin, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at LINK, emphasized the importance of maintaining cash services for those who depend on them, despite the growing trend towards digital transactions. Gareth Oakley, CEO of Cash Access UK, highlighted the role of banking hubs in providing essential services to customers and businesses who still require access to cash and face-to-face banking interactions.