52 bank branches to close across Britain this month

Parcelhero said 52 bank branches are due to close across Britain this month, warning that the pace of closures risks leaving more towns without face-to-face banking services.

The group linked the latest shutdowns to the long-running decline of High Street banking and argued that the Government's review of access to banking services may not move quickly enough to stem the loss of local branches.

Santander accounts for the largest number of closures scheduled this month, with 27 sites set to shut. NatWest is due to close 15 branches, while Lloyds Bank will shut eight and Halifax two, according to Parcelhero.

The total comes as Lloyds Banking Group, which includes Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, presses ahead with a wider reduction in its network. Those three brands are set to close at least 168 branches by the end of next year, Parcelhero said.

The Government has launched an Access to Banking Services review into the decline of in-person banking. Parcelhero highlighted the review's acknowledgement that there are currently no protections for access to in-person banking services.

The review is expected to focus first on retail customers, while also considering the needs of small businesses, non-profit groups and community organisations. Parcelhero warned that, because the process is not due to conclude until October, more branches could disappear before then.

Banking deserts

Parcelhero's latest research found that about 6,660 bank branches closed between 2016 and 2025. It said those closures created 41 "banking deserts", defined as areas where at least one branch shut for every 10,000 residents.

Barclays recorded the biggest reduction among individual banks over that period, with 1,236 branch closures, according to the research. Among banking groups, NatWest Group, which includes NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank, closed 1,536 branches, while Lloyds Banking Group closed 1,470 branches.

The figures build on a longer trend that has reshaped town centres over decades. Parcelhero said 9,000 bank and building society branches closed between 1989 and 2016, before the more recent wave of closures gathered pace.

"The threat to in-person banking is escalating by the week. Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, all part of Lloyds Banking Group, are set to shut at least 168 bank branches by the end of next year. Meanwhile, 52 bank branches across a variety of banking groups will close this month alone. Santander will shutter 27 locations, the most branches in May, while NatWest will close 15, Lloyds Bank eight and Halifax two," David Jinks, Head of Consumer Research at Parcelhero, said.

"In light of this rapid decline, the Government has pledged to examine the continuing reduction in in-person banking, and its new Access to Banking Services review was launched last week. Shockingly, the review acknowledges that 'there are currently no existing protections for the provision of access to in-person banking services'. The review will look at the state of banking through what it calls a 'customer needs lens'. It will primarily focus on individuals using retail banking services, but will also include organisations such as small businesses, non-profit and community groups. However, the review is not set to conclude until October, and that could be too late given the current haemorrhaging of local banking facilities," he added.

Brands under pressure

The report also highlights pressure on several established banking brands as ownership structures change and branch networks shrink. Parcelhero said TSB, The Co-operative Bank and Virgin Money could all disappear from High Streets as they are absorbed into larger groups.

Santander took over TSB from Sabadell and is likely to be folded into Santander UK, according to Parcelhero. Coventry Building Society has acquired the Co-operative Bank, while Virgin Money's business has transferred to Nationwide Building Society.

Parcelhero also pointed to reports that Halifax could be dropped as a standalone brand as part of plans at Lloyds Banking Group. If that happened, it would end a High Street presence stretching back 173 years.

Some banks have paused further closures after criticism from customers and politicians. Barclays has pledged not to shut any more branches through 2026, while Nationwide has said it will keep all its locations open until at least 2030, including former Virgin Money stores, Parcelhero said.

Alternative forms of access are also expanding. Local shops and libraries have begun offering some banking services, while the financial services industry plans to roll out 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament.

"There are also moves by some local shops and even libraries to incorporate banking services of some kind. That's on top of the financial services industry's roll-out of 350 banking hubs by the end of this Parliament, discussed in the Government's Access to Banking Services review. However, there is no denying the fact that, since our first report's publication, the run on our banks has become a sprint," said Jinks.