Four major banks to close total of 43 branches next month including 11 that will have NO others nearby – is yours going?

FOUR major banks are set to shut down a combined total of 43 branches next month.

Barclays, Bank of Scotland (BoS), Lloyds and Halifax announced they will close several of their banks across the UK.

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Branches in London, Liverpool and Hampshire will see their doors shut for good.

The announcement comes after NatWest confirmed it would close 19 of its stores last year.

Since the start of 2023, a raft of banks and building societies have closed hundreds of branches between them.

Out of the four major bank branches set to shut, around 11 won’t have other branches of any bank nearby.

This causes headaches for locals in the area who’ll have to travel further to access their banks or switch to a different alternative.

The full list of 43 bank branches closing and the 11 with no other banks nearby:

• Barclays, Aberystwyth, Wales, 03/05/2024
• Barclays, Gravesend, England, 03/05/2024
• Barclays, Hartlepool, England, 03/05/2024
• BoS, Bowmore, Scotland, 08/05/2024
• Barclays, Dewsbury, England, 09/05/2024
• Barclays, Ayr, Scotland, 10/05/2024
• Barclays, Haverfordwest, Wales, 10/05/2024
• Barclays, Blackburn, England, 10/05/2024
• Barclays, Spalding, England, 10/05/2024
• Barclays, Bangor, Wales, 10/05/2024
• Barclays, Livingston, Scotland, 10/05/2024
• Barclays, Boston, England, 10/05/2024
• Barclays, London, England, 10/05/2024
• Halifax, Dagenham, England, 15/05/2024
• Barclays, Evesham, England, 15/05/2024
• Barclays, Risca, Wales, 17/05/2024 – No other branches nearby
• Barclays, Inverness, Scotland, 17/05/2024
• Barclays, Andover, England, 17/05/2024
• Barclays, Bracknell, England, 17/05/2024
• Barclays, Leiston, England, 17/05/2024 – No other branches nearby
• Barclays, Bangor, Northern Ireland, 17/05/2024
• Barclays, Wembley, England, 17/05/2024 – No other branches nearby
• Barclays, Hornchurch, England, 17/05/2024
• Barclays, Streatham, England, 17/05/2024
• Barclays, Liverpool, England, 17/05/2024
• BoS, Jedburgh, Scotland, 20/05/2024 – No other branches nearby
• BoS, Girvan, Scotland, 20/05/2024 – No other branches nearby
• BoS, Dunbar, Scotland, 21/05/2024 – No other branches nearby
• BoS, Aviemore, Scotland, 21/05/2024 – No other branches nearby
• Barclays, Fulham Broadway, England, 23/05/2024
• Barclays, Harleston, England, 24/05/2024 – No other branches nearby
• Barclays, Barking, England, 24/05/2024
• Barclays, Oldham, England, 24/05/2024
• Lloyds, Brighouse, England, 28/05/2024
• Lloyds, March, England, 28/05/2024
• Lloyds, Formby, England, 28/05/2024
• Lloyds, Pershore, England, 28/05/2024 – No other branches nearby
• BoS, Cupar, Scotland, 29/05/2024
• Lloyds, North Walsham, England, 29/05/2024
• Halifax, Larne, Northern Ireland, 29/05/2024
• BoS, Cumnock, Scotland, 29/05/2024 – No other branches nearby
• BoS, Crieff, Scotland, 29/05/2024 -No other branches nearby
• Barclays, Brentwood, England, 31/05/2024

Most customers use online baking to manage their finances while banks and building society continue to look for ways to cut costs.

However, there are fears the closure will hurt certain parts of our society more than others.

A survey conducted by Which? last year, found more than half of disabled or impaired people had negatively been impacted by bank composure.

Similarly in the same year, a different study found around 39 per cent of those over 65 did not use online banking and were at “high risk of financial exclusion“.

Some banks or building societies such as HSBC and Nationwide have made pledges to limit branch closures or not shut any at all.

Nationwide announced its commitment to keep branches open in areas where it already had them until 2028.

Almost 80 per cent of NatWest users rely on digital services and more than 97 per cent of retail banking accounts are opened online, according to a spokesperson for the NatWest Group, which also runs RBS.

They added: “We are investing c£35m in our (branch) network across the UK, from 2023-24, as well as continuing to invest in shared solutions like the Post Office and banking hubs.

“Digital banking continues to provide new and inclusive ways of allowing the overwhelming majority of our individual and business customers, including the elderly and vulnerable, to bank with us in ways that they weren’t able to before.

“But we know that a small number of people are not yet comfortable with it, which is why we are proactively reaching out to support them with this transition, having made over 200,000 calls last year. We also have experts that they can speak to for support and guidance.”

What to do if your local bank closes

If a recent bank or building society closure has left you without one nearby, you have some alternatives.

You can carry out most basic banking tasks at your nearest Post Office, although you won’t be able to apply for a loan or open a new bank account there.

You can find your nearest Post Office branch by using the locator tool on its website.

It’s worth contacting your bank to see what services they have available, and when they might next be in your area.