Santander Announces Branch Closures

Santander has announced plans to close 44 bank branches, putting almost 300 jobs at risk. The lender said its move was a continued response to the changing needs of its customers as more people bank online.

Background

News of the renewed closures comes less than a year after plans to close 95 locations were announced. Santander UK said it would only have 244 full-service branches following its latest decision.

Affected Locations

The company released a list of affected locations and planned closures:

• Andover, Hampshire, May 12th
• Banbridge, County Down, May 19th
• Bangor, County Down, April 29th
• Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, April 28th
• Bishop Auckland, County Durham, May 5th
• Boston, Lincolnshire, April 28th
• Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, May 12th
• Bridgwater, Somerset, April 29th
• Cwmbran, Gwent, 13 May
• Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, 12 May
• Evesham, Worcestershire, April 28th
• Glengormley, County Antrim, May 6th
• Golders Green, London, May 13th
• Gosport, Hampshire, May 5th
• Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, May 5th
• Heswall, Merseyside, May 13th
• Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, May 5th
• Kirkintilloch, Lanarkshire, April 29th
• Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, until the end of January 2027
• Leyland, Lancashire, May 6th
• Liskeard, Cornwall, May 20th
• Macclesfield, Cheshire, May 12th
• Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, May 6th
• Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, April 29th
• Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan, May 6th
• Mold, Clwyd, April 28th
• Newbury, Berkshire, April 29th
• Newton Abbot, Devon, May 19th
• Northallerton, North Yorkshire, May 6th
• Ormskirk, Lancashire, until the end of January 2027
• Pontefract, West Yorkshire, May 5th
• Ramsgate, Kent, April 28th
• Redditch, Worcestershire, May 13th
• Ringwood, Hampshire, May 6th
• Scunthorpe, South Humberside, April 29th
• Shirley, West Midlands, May 20th
• Stafford, Staffordshire, May 19th
• Stranraer, Wigtownshire, May 13th
• Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, May 12th
• Tonbridge, Kent, April 29th
• Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, May 5th
• Whitehaven, Cumbria, until the end of January 2027
• Wilmslow, Cheshire, until the end of January 2027
• Woking, Surrey, April 28th

Digital Banking

The Spain-based banking group said 96% of all transactions are now processed through digital channels. The company reassured critics of industry closures over access to banking and insisted its Community Bankers program would help in areas where entire branches were closing.

Future of Branch Services

The remaining network will also consist of 19 counterless branches, 36 reduced opening branches, six work cafes, and 111 Santander Locals. The industry’s move away from costly branch services has resulted in two-thirds of the UK network disappearing over the last decade. However, branch services have been significantly reduced since the consequences of the 2008/2009 financial crisis.

Statement from Santander

A Santander spokeswoman said: "We will continue to invest in both our branch network – comprising full-service branches, counter-less branches, reduced-hours branches, Santander Locals, and our increasingly popular work cafes – and our digital banking services, so that we can support our customers, however they choose to bank with us."