Seventy banks are set to close their doors this fall according to recent research, marking a total of around 6,500 branches disappearing in the UK over the past ten years. The upcoming closures are spread out, with 21 banks shutting down in September, 24 in October, and 25 in November, with Halifax taking the lead in closures.
Among the closures, 17 Halifax branches will be affected this month, all part of the Lloyds Banking Group. Additionally, 16 more Halifax branches will close in October, followed by four in November, bringing the total autumn closures to 37.
Lloyds Bank branches will also face closures, with 29 branches set to shut down, four in September, six in October, and 19 in November. The remaining banks scheduled for closure include branches of the Bank of Scotland and one Santander branch.
The impact of these closures will be felt across England, Scotland, and Wales, with London being the most affected by losing 12 bank branches this fall, followed by the North West with 11 closures.
These closures come after the loss of 138 banks over the summer, and by the end of this year, a total of 364 banks will have closed. An interactive map is available to check if any branches near you are closing this month.
Research by consumer magazine Which? shows that approximately 6,300 bank and building society branches have closed in the UK since January 2015, representing a significant decrease. Since February 2022, 1,879 bank branches have either closed or announced their closure intentions, with an average of 50 closures per month.
Despite the high closure rates, there seems to be a slowdown in the number of closures recently. The annual closure rate has decreased from 633 in 2023 to 364 scheduled for the end of 2025. The House of Commons Library report attributes the decline in banking services to changing consumer behavior and the rise of online banking.
To address the impact of closures on vulnerable customers and small businesses, the LINK scheme, supported by major banks like Barclays, HSBC, Natwest, Lloyds, and Halifax, ensures that communities are not left without banking services. Banking hubs and free ATMs are being set up in areas where banks are closing to maintain access to financial services.