The UK banking sector is set to experience significant changes in 2025 as over 120 branches from major banks, including Lloyds, Halifax, TSB, and others, are slated to close. This trend reflects a broader shift towards digital banking, raising questions about its impact on high streets and vulnerable populations.
Breakdown of Closures by Bank
The closures, scheduled between January and September 2025, are distributed among multiple banks :
- Lloyds Bank : 51 branches
- Halifax : 46 branches
- Bank of Scotland: 16 branches
- TSB: 7 branches
- Barclays: 6 branches
These reductions highlight a continuing decline in brick-and-mortar banking locations. Data from Which? reveals that since January 2015, 6,214 bank and building society branches have closed across the UK, averaging 53 closures per month.
Reasons Behind the Shift
Banks cite a decrease in customer footfall as the primary reason for these closures. The rise of online and mobile banking services has reduced the necessity for physical locations. According to the UK Finance Annual Report, more than 80% of UK adults used online banking services in 2023, a figure that continues to grow.
However, this shift has raised concerns, particularly for the elderly and vulnerable populations, who may depend on in-person services for cash transactions and account management.
Implications for Communities
The closures disproportionately affect smaller towns and rural areas, where access to banking services is already limited. Some notable locations losing branches in 2025 include :
- Bank of Scotland: Banff, Callander, and Rothesay
- Barclays: Cockermouth and Pickering
- Halifax: Monmouth, Littlehampton, and Whitby
- Lloyds: Bletchley, Brecon, and Wadebridge
- TSB: Amble, Bedlington, and Tenbury Wells
The loss of these services can have ripple effects on local economies, particularly for businesses reliant on cash transactions.
Full List of Affected Branches
For those directly impacted, a detailed schedule has been released :
| Bank | Location | Closure Date |
|---|---|---|
| Bank of Scotland | Banff, 29 Low Street | May 8, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Bathgate, 50 Hopetoun Street | June 30, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Callander, 42 Main Street | March 20, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Cowdenbeath, 349-351 High Street | June 24, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Dunfermline, 1 Bothwell Street | January 21, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Golspie, Main Street | February 4, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Kirkcaldy, Carberry Road | January 21, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Kyle, Main Street | January 27, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Langholm, High Street | April 7, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Leven, 60 High Street | May 7, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Linlithgow, Regent Centre Blackness Road | June 23, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Montrose, 31 High Street | March 10, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Newton Stewart, 37 Albert Street | June 23, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | North Berwick, 23 Westgate | April 2, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Rothesay, 36-42 Montague Street | June 30, 2025 |
| Bank of Scotland | Wick, 18 Bridge Street | June 25, 2025 |
| Barclays | Barnard Castle, 1 Market Place | January 17, 2025 |
| Barclays | Cockermouth, 30 Main Street | January 17, 2025 |
| Barclays | Pickering, 41 Market Place | January 17, 2025 |
| Barclays | St Neots, 41 High Street | January 30, 2025 |
| Barclays | Tredegar, 21-22 Castle Street | January 17, 2025 |
| Barclays | Ystrad Mynach, 27 Bedwlwyn Road | January 17, 2025 |
| Halifax | Acomb, 73 York Road | January 15, 2025 |
| Halifax | Alnwick, 26 Bondgate Within | January 15, 2025 |
| Halifax | Belfast, Castle Court Royal Avenue | February 4, 2025 |
| Halifax | Belfast, 17-18 Connswater Shopping Centre | February 10, 2025 |
| Halifax | Bitterne, 400-402 Bitterne Road | June 9, 2025 |
| Halifax | Bulwell, 8 Commercial Road | January 21, 2025 |
| Halifax | Burgess Hill, 11 Church Road | March 4, 2025 |
| Halifax | Camberley, 20/22 High Street | March 11, 2025 |
| Halifax | Chippenham, 49 Market Place | April 15, 2025 |
| Halifax | Didcot, 7 Orchard Street | March 10, 2025 |
| Halifax | Eccles, 92-94 Church Street | January 7, 2025 |
| Halifax | Gillingham, 97-101 High Street | February 11, 2025 |
| Halifax | Gosport, 60/61 High Street | March 12, 2025 |
| Halifax | Hailsham, 54/56 High Street | March 26, 2025 |
| Halifax | Hatfield, 17/17A Town Centre | January 20, 2025 |
| Halifax | Kendal, 21/23 Highgate | February 10, 2025 |
| Halifax | Keynsham, 53 High Street | January 14, 2025 |
| Halifax | Leighton Buzzard, 14 High Street | January 20, 2025 |
| Halifax | Littlehampton, 68 High Street | June 23, 2025 |
| Halifax | Liverpool, 642 Prescot Road Old Swan | January 8, 2025 |
| Halifax | London (West), 200 Edgware Road | January 6, 2025 |
| Halifax | Longton, 24 Market Street | January 8, 2025 |
| Halifax | Malton, 8 Wheelgate | April 8, 2025 |
| Halifax | Monmouth, 7/11 Monnow Street | September 16, 2025 |
| Halifax | Morecambe, 6 Royalty Mall Arndale Centre | September 15, 2025 |
| Halifax | Newbury, 16 Northbrook Street | April 16, 2025 |
| Halifax | Normanton, 49/51 High Street | March 27, 2025 |
| Halifax | North Shields, 100 Bedford Street | January 28, 2025 |
| Halifax | Northallerton, 91 High Street | April 28, 2025 |
| Halifax | Oswestry, 6 Bailey Street | April 28, 2025 |
| Halifax | Palmers Green, 256/258 Green Lanes | January 9, 2025 |
| Halifax | Port Talbot, 58 Station Road | January 29, 2025 |
| Halifax | Runcorn, 35 Orchard Walk Halton Lea | April 29, 2025 |
| Halifax | Shirley, 177B Stratford Road | January 9, 2025 |
| Halifax | Stratford-upon-Avon, 28 Bridge Street | January 22, 2025 |
| Halifax | Sutton-in-Ashfield, 32 Low Street | January 16, 2025 |
| Halifax | Tamworth, 22 Market Street | April 29, 2025 |
| Halifax | Thetford, 4/4A King Street | September 17, 2025 |
| Halifax | Tonbridge, 39 High Street | January 9, 2025 |
| Halifax | Walton-on-Thames, 3 High Street | January 27, 2025 |
| Halifax | Wellington, Duke Street | January 7, 2025 |
| Halifax | Wetherby, 49 Market Place | May 13, 2025 |
| Halifax | Whitby, 67 Baxtergate | May 14, 2025 |
Efforts to Mitigate the Impact
To address these challenges, banks are implementing alternatives :
- Post Office Partnerships : Basic banking services such as cash withdrawals and deposits are available at Post Offices.
- Banking Hubs : Shared spaces in high streets where banks rotate staff to provide services on specific days.
- Mobile Banking Vans : Temporary pop-up services in affected areas.
These measures aim to bridge the gap left by physical branch closures, though their effectiveness remains under scrutiny.
