A Troubling Trend: The Implications of Mass Bank Closures in the UK
As can be seen by the list below, Dorset towns are being hit by the current round of bank closures.
The UK banking landscape is undergoing yet another seismic shift, with Lloyds Banking Group announcing the closure of 136 more branches across its Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland brands. Set to take place between May 2025 and March 2026, this move continues a worrying trend of physical banking disappearing from the high street. While the group insists that all affected staff will be offered alternative roles, the broader impact of these closures on communities and consumers, particularly the elderly and those in rural areas, is a cause for concern.
Digital Dominance vs. Accessibility
Lloyds attributes the closures to the growing preference for digital banking, with over 20 million of its customers using mobile apps and online services. It argues that customers now have more flexibility, thanks to telephone banking, banking hubs, and Post Office partnerships. However, this perspective overlooks the fact that not all customers have equal access to digital banking. Many elderly individuals and those in rural communities still rely heavily on in-person services. The shift to online banking, while convenient for many, risks excluding a significant portion of the population.
The Disappearance of High Street Banking
The numbers paint a stark picture. Since 2015, more than 6,000 UK bank branches have closed, with major banks slashing costs in response to changing consumer habits and post-2008 financial crisis restructuring. By the end of this latest round of closures, Lloyds Banking Group will have reduced its network to just 386 Lloyds branches, 281 Halifax branches, and 90 Bank of Scotland locations. These figures raise pressing questions about the future of banking accessibility, especially in areas where banks are vanishing altogether.
The Rural and Elderly Left Behind
One of the most troubling aspects of these closures is their disproportionate effect on vulnerable populations. Rural communities, where digital infrastructure remains inconsistent, are being stripped of vital banking services, making everyday transactions more difficult. For the elderly, many of whom struggle with technology or prefer face-to-face banking, these closures represent a significant hurdle in managing their finances. While banking hubs offer a potential solution, their current numbers, 76 as of September 2024, with plans to more than double, suggest they are still playing catch-up.
The Illusion of Choice
Lloyds points to alternative banking methods, such as telephone services and Post Office partnerships, as viable options. However, these alternatives are not always suitable substitutes for traditional branches. Telephone banking often involves long wait times and lacks the personal touch of in-branch assistance. Post Office services, while useful, do not offer the full range of banking functions that dedicated branches provide. For many, the closure of local banks is not just an inconvenience—it is a serious obstacle to managing their finances effectively.
A Race to Cut Costs or a Shift in Priorities?
The rapid rate of bank closures raises the question of whether the move is truly consumer-driven or merely an aggressive cost-cutting strategy. Lloyds’ decision to close two major offices in Liverpool and Dunfermline, impacting over 1,000 staff, further fuels the suspicion that profitability is being prioritised over customer service and community needs.
The Way Forward
While digital banking is undoubtedly the future, a responsible transition is essential. More investment in banking hubs and community-focused solutions is needed to ensure no one is left behind. The rapid closure of high street branches may reduce overheads for banks, but it also risks alienating thousands of customers who still depend on physical banking services.
As campaigners continue to call for a more measured approach, it remains to be seen whether the government or regulators will step in to slow the tide of closures. For now, communities across the UK face a shrinking banking landscape, with fewer options and increasing challenges for those who rely on in-person services.
A list of the affected branches, with their expected closure date:
Lloyds
• Lloyds Biggleswade – 05/11/2025
• Lloyds Bishop Auckland – 08/05/2025
• Lloyds Blandford – 10/11/2025
• Lloyds Bolton Farnworth – 28/05/2025
• Lloyds Bridgnorth – 20/05/2025
• Lloyds Brigg – 05/03/2026
• Lloyds Bristol Bishopsworth – 06/11/2025
• Lloyds Bristol Clifton – 21/05/2025
• Lloyds Bristol Patchway – 28/05/2025
• Lloyds Bromsgrove – 07/05/2025
• Lloyds Bury – 21/10/2025
• Lloyds Cardiff Whitchurch – 29/05/2025
• Lloyds Caterham – 05/03/2026
• Lloyds Chard – 11/11/2025
• Lloyds Coventry Foleshill – 04/11/2025
• Lloyds Dorchester – 19/06/2025
• Lloyds Dunstable – 04/11/2025
• Lloyds East Grinstead – 12/11/2025
• Lloyds Falmouth – 13/11/2025
• Lloyds Feltham – 04/11/2025
• Lloyds Ferndown – 17/11/2025
• Lloyds Fulham – 27/05/2025
• Lloyds Glossop – 09/03/2026
• Lloyds Godalming – 29/05/2025
• Lloyds Herne Bay – 21/05/2025
• Lloyds Hexham – 05/11/2025
• Lloyds Hornchurch Station Lane – 11/09/2025
• Lloyds Houghton le Spring – 10/03/2026
• Lloyds Hucknall – 04/03/2026
• Lloyds Kidderminster – 16/10/2025
• Lloyds Launceston – 12/05/2025
• Lloyds Leeds Crossgates – 01/10/2025
• Lloyds Leominster – 18/11/2025
• Lloyds Leyland – 08/05/2025
• Lloyds Liverpool Breck Rd – 04/03/2026
• Lloyds Loughton – 12/11/2025
• Lloyds Louth – 07/05/2025
• Lloyds Ludlow – 20/05/2025
• Lloyds Manchester Moston – 11/03/2026
• Lloyds Manchester Newton Heath – 05/11/2025
• Lloyds Margate – 14/05/2025
• Lloyds Pembroke Dock – 26/06/2025
• Lloyds Peterlee Yoden Way – 03/03/2026
• Lloyds Plymstock – 04/11/2025
• Lloyds Pontardawe – 19/11/2025
• Lloyds Pontyclun – 12/05/2025
• Lloyds Prudhoe – 15/05/2025
• Lloyds Rayleigh – 20/05/2025
• Lloyds Seaton – 07/05/2025
• Lloyds Sheffield Woodhouse – 10/03/2026
• Lloyds Shipston-on-Stour – 11/03/2026
• Lloyds Sleaford – 12/03/2026
• Lloyds Southall – 15/10/2025
• Lloyds Southsea – 09/03/2026
• Lloyds Stoke-on-Trent – 09/03/2026
• Lloyds Thornbury Avon – 06/11/2025
• Lloyds Tooting – 08/10/2025
• Lloyds Tunstall – 09/03/2026
• Lloyds Walthamstow – 22/10/2025
• Lloyds Welwyn Garden City – 11/06/2025
• Lloyds Wymondham – 12/03/2026
Halifax
• Halifax Balham – 22/05/2025
• Halifax Bangor (N Ireland) – 29/05/2025
• Halifax Barrow in Furness – 10/09/2025
• Halifax Bexleyheath – 06/11/2025
• Halifax Birmingham Bearwood – 02/03/2026
• Halifax Blackpool Lytham Road – 29/10/2025
• Halifax Bolton – 20/11/2025
• Halifax Brentwood – 10/09/2025
• Halifax Bromsgrove – 29/05/2025
• Halifax Cannon Street – 28/05/2025
• Halifax Carmarthen – 06/10/2025
• Halifax Castleford – 08/09/2025
• Halifax Cirencester – 25/09/2025
• Halifax Clapham Junction – 07/10/2025
• Halifax Crewe – 14/10/2025
• Halifax Derby East St – 23/10/2025
• Halifax Eltham – 29/10/2025
• Halifax Epsom – 15/09/2025
• Halifax Erdington – 24/09/2025
• Halifax Felixstowe – 02/06/2025
• Halifax Fleetwood – 25/06/2025
• Halifax Folkestone – 09/10/2025
• Halifax Fulham – 22/05/2025
• Halifax Gainsborough – 02/06/2025
• Halifax Hayes – 06/10/2025
• Halifax Hexham – 05/11/2025
• Halifax Horsforth – 03/06/2025
• Halifax Hove – 10/11/2025
• Halifax Huntingdon – 30/10/2025
• Halifax Kingsbury – 02/06/2025
• Halifax Kingswood – 08/10/2025
• Halifax Launceston – 03/06/2025
• Halifax Leek – 04/06/2025
• Halifax Letchworth – 03/06/2025
• Halifax London Strand – 08/05/2025
• Halifax Long Eaton – 18/09/2025
• Halifax Mold – 05/06/2025
• Halifax Nelson – 04/03/2026
• Halifax Northwich – 03/09/2025
• Halifax Omagh – 19/05/2025
• Halifax Peterlee – 03/03/2026
• Halifax Pontypridd – 30/09/2025
• Halifax Rayleigh – 20/05/2025
• Halifax Rhyl – 23/09/2025
• Halifax Richmond (Surrey) – 16/09/2025
• Halifax Sittingbourne – 15/10/2025
• Halifax Skegness – 03/09/2025
• Halifax Sleaford – 06/11/2025
• Halifax Southport – 07/10/2025
• Halifax St Annes – 12/06/2025
• Halifax St Austell – 13/05/2025
• Halifax Stevenage Queensway – 06/01/2026
• Halifax Telford – 22/10/2025
• Halifax Walkden – 25/09/2025
• Halifax Wallasey – 04/09/2025
• Halifax Waltham Cross – 27/05/2025
• Halifax Welwyn Garden City – 11/06/2025
• Halifax Wickford – 10/11/2025
• Halifax Wilmslow – 19/05/2025
• Halifax Winton – 01/10/2025
• Halifax Woolwich – 01/10/2025
Bank of Scotland
• Bank of Scotland Alexandria – 02/03/2026
• Bank of Scotland Annan – 02/03/2026
• Bank of Scotland Barrhead – 21/05/2025
• Bank of Scotland Bishopbriggs – 21/05/2025
• Bank of Scotland Edinburgh Corstorphine West – 29/10/2025
• Bank of Scotland Edinburgh Wester Hailes – 27/05/2025
• Bank of Scotland Helensburgh – 05/03/2026
• Bank of Scotland Kirkintilloch – 22/05/2025
• Bank of Scotland Moffat – 29/10/2025
• Bank of Scotland Peebles – 27/05/2025
• Bank of Scotland Pitlochry – 30/10/2025
• Bank of Scotland Sanquhar – 28/05/2025
• Bank of Scotland Thornhill – 03/11/2025
• Bank of Scotland Uddingston – 22/05/2025