A MAJOR bank has announced that it’s shutting further branches later this year.
Thousands of Bank of Scotland, Halifax and Lloyds Bank customers will lose access to branch services over the coming months.
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The closures come as Lloyds Banking Group, which owns all three brands, looks to move more of its banking services online.
Data from the UK’s largest cash machine network, LINK, keeps track of any planned branch closures across the UK.
The Bank of Scotland has announced the closures of a further 17 of its branches between October 2023 and May 2024.
Halifax will close 15 more branches between September and November 2023.
Lloyds Bank also has plans to shut another 21 branches between September 2023 and February 2024.
The banking giant has already closed 47 of its bank branches under the Bank of Scotland, Halifax and Lloyds branches this year.
Last year, 278 Lloyds Banking Group branches shut forever.
Many people, particularly the elderly, still rely on in-person services and the closures will make it more difficult for this demographic to access accessible services.
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But there are still a number of ways in which affected customers can access basic banking services without having to venture to the next town.
You can use one of the Post Office’s 11,635 branches to perform basic banking tasks — but not open new bank accounts or take personal loans and mortgages.
Many banks also offer a mobile banking service. This is where your bank brings a bus to your local area that has the services that are usually available at your branch.
You should call up your bank to see if it runs a banking bus and they will be able to tell you where and when it will be parked.
Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.
Banking hubs, which offer traditional shared services, have also been set up in four locations around the UK to help plug the gap — in Brixham, Cambuslang, Cottingham and Rochford.
There are plans to open dozens more hubs across the UK and the ATM provider LINK announced plans for a further eight new locations last week – taking the total number of planned hubs to 47.
How many new banking hubs are planned?
THE first four banking hubs were succesfully piloted last year in Brixham, Cambuslang, Cottingham and Rochford.
Following further branch closures LINK, the UK’s Cash Access and ATM network, has identified a further 47 locations which require banking hubs.
There are 35 banking hubs planned for England in:
- Acton, London
- Ampthill, Bedfordshire
- Axminster, Devon
- Barnoldswick, Lancashire
- Barton, North Lincolnshire
- Belper, Derbyshire
- Buckingham, Buckinghamshire
- Bury Park, Bedfordshire
- Cheadle, Staffordshire
- Clay Cross, Derbyshire
- Downham Market, Norfolk
- Earlestown, Merseyside
- Haslemere, Surrey
- Helston, Cornwall
- Heywood, Rochdale
- Hornsea, East Yorkshire
- Horwich, Bolton
- Knaresborough, Harrogate
- Looe, Cornwall
- Lutterworth, Leicestershire
- Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
- Maryport, Cumbria
- Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
- Oakham, Rutland
- Otley, West Yorkshire
- Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire
- Shirebrook, Derbyshire
- Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex
- Sidmouth, Devon
- Stapleford, Nottinghamshire
- Syston, Leicestershire
- Watton, Norfolk
- Welling, London
- Wellington, Somerset
- Withernsea, East Yorkshire
A single banking hub is planned in Northern Ireland in:
- Kilkeel, County Down
Seven banking hubs are planned for Scotland in:
- Brechin, Angus
- Carluke, South Lanarkshire
- Carnoustie, Angus
- Forres, Moray
- Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
- Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway
- Troon, South Ayrshire
Four banking hubs are planned for Wales in:
- Abergele, Conwy
- Porthcawl, Bridgend
- Prestatyn, Denbighshire
- Welshpool, Powys
There isn’t a set date for when these hubs are expected to open but it’s expected that they’ll be up and running within the next 12 months.
Here is a full list of the 53 bank branches set to close.
Bank of Scotland closures
- Aberfoyle – October 24, 2023
- Aviemore – May 21, 2024
- Ballater – October 11, 2023
- Braemar – October 17, 2023
- Crieff – February 12, 2024
- Cumnock – February 12, 2024
- Cupar – October 2, 2023
- Dunbar – May 21, 2024
- Dunkeld – December 5, 2023
- Duns – October 16, 2023
- Eyemouth – October 9, 2023
- Falkland – December 5, 2023
- Fort Augustus – October 5, 2023
- Girvan – February 21, 2023
- Jedburgh – February 14, 2023
- Newcastleton – October 31, 2023
- Ullapool – October 23, 2023
Halifax closures
- Canvey Island – November 6, 2023
- Craigavon – October 4, 2023
- Feltham – October 5, 2023
- Grantham – November 8, 2023
- Great Barr – October 4, 2023
- Harborne – September 25, 2023
- Haywards Heath – September 27, 2023
- Kingstanding – September 27, 2023
- Larne – November 14, 2023
- Leominster – November 13, 2023
- Malvern – November 6, 2023
- Paignton – November 28, 2023
- Southampton – September 26, 2023
- Swiss Cottage – September 20, 2023
- Todmorden – September 28, 2023
Lloyds Bank closures
- Alresford – November 27, 2023
- Bournemouth – September 27, 2023
- Brighouse – October 10, 2023
- Cromer – October 25, 2023
- Formby – October 30, 2023
- Gloucester – September 18, 2023
- Hazlemere – September 21, 2023
- Kidlington – September 28, 2023
- Kingsbridge – October 11, 2023
- Leeds – September 25, 2023
- Liphook – September 21, 2023
- Llanishen – October 24, 2023
- March – October 18, 2023
- North Walsham – November 7, 2023
- Northampton – October 9, 2023
- Pershore – February 2, 2024
- Prenton – October 16, 2023
- Slough – October 5, 2023
- South Molton – September 19, 2023
- St David’s – November 27, 2023
- Thirsk – October 31, 2023
