FOUR huge banks will close over a dozen more branches within days.
It means that thousands of Barclays, HSBC, Halifax and Lloyds Bank customers will lose access to branch services over the coming months.
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The closures come as big banks look to move more of their services online.
Data from the UK’s largest cash machine network, LINK, keeps track of any planned branch closures across the UK.
Barclays will permanently close branches in 10 different locations before next weekend.
HSBC will also bring the shutters down on five branches for good next week.
Plus, Halifax and Lloyds Banks will each close a single bank branch in the same period.
Many people, particularly the elderly, still rely on in-person services and the closures will make it more difficult for this demographic to access services.
But there are still a number of ways in which affected customers can access basic banking services without having to venture to the next town.
You can use one of the Post Office’s 11,635 branches to perform basic banking tasks — but not open new bank accounts or take personal loans and mortgages.
Many banks also offer a mobile banking service. This is where your bank brings a bus to your local area that has the services that are usually available at your branch.
You should call up your bank to see if it runs a banking bus and they will be able to tell you where and when it will be parked.
Other banks use buildings such as village halls or libraries to offer mobile banking services.
Banking hubs, which offer traditional shared services, have also been set up in four locations around the UK to help plug the gap — in Brixham, Cambuslang, Cottingham and Rochford.
Banking hubs, which offer traditional shared services, have also been set up in eight locations around the UK to help plug the gap — in Acton, Brixham, Buckingham, Cambuslang, Carnoustie, Cottingham, Rochford and Troon.
There are plans to open dozens more hubs across the UK and the ATM provider LINK announced plans for a further eight new locations in May – taking the total number of planned hubs to 47.
How many new banking hubs are planned?
THE first four banking hubs were succesfully piloted last year in Brixham, Cambuslang, Cottingham and Rochford.
Four more have opened in Acton, Buckingham, Carnoustie and Troon.
Following further branch closures LINK, the UK’s Cash Access and ATM network, has identified a further 54 locations which require banking hubs.
There are 37 banking hubs planned for England in:
- Ampthill, Bedfordshire
- Axminster, Devon
- Barnoldswick, Lancashire
- Barton, North Lincolnshire
- Belper, Derbyshire
- Bury Park, Bedfordshire
- Cheadle, Staffordshire
- Clay Cross, Derbyshire
- Downham Market, Norfolk
- Earlestown, Merseyside
- Elland, West Yorkshire
- Haslemere, Surrey
- Helston, Cornwall
- Heywood, Rochdale
- Hornsea, East Yorkshire
- Horwich, Bolton
- Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire
- Knaresborough, Harrogate
- Looe, Cornwall
- Lutterworth, Leicestershire
- Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire
- Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
- Maryport, Cumbria
- Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
- Oakham, Rutland
- Otley, West Yorkshire
- Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire
- Shirebrook, Derbyshire
- Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex
- Sidmouth, Devon
- Stapleford, Nottinghamshire
- Syston, Leicestershire
- Ware, Hertfordshire
- Watton, Norfolk
- Welling, London
- Wellington, Somerset
- Withernsea, East Yorkshire
A single banking hub is planned in Northern Ireland in:
Nine banking hubs are planned for Scotland in:
- Brechin, Angus
- Carluke, South Lanarkshire
- Crieff, Perth and Kinross
- Cumnock, East Ayrshire
- Forres, Moray
- Girvan, South Ayrshire
- Jedburgh, Scottish Borders
- Kilwinning, North Ayrshire
- Kirkcudbright, Dumfries and Galloway
Seven banking hubs are planned for Wales in:
- Abergele, Conwy
- Abertillery, Blaenau Gwent
- Porthcawl, Bridgend
- Prestatyn, Denbighshire
- Risca, Caerphilly
- Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Welshpool, Powys
There isn’t a set date for when these hubs are expected to open but it’s expected that they’ll be up and running within the next 12 months.
Here is a full list of the 17 bank branches set to close next week.
HSBC closures
- 15 Cornhill, Dorchester – August 22
- Queen Street, Morley – August 22
- 2 Market Place, Wymondham – August 22
- 38 Union Street, Ryde – August 22
- 25 High Street, Windsor – August 22
Halifax and Lloyds Bank closures
- 24 Bridge Street, Tadcaster (Halifax) – August 22
- 23 Long Street, Wotton-Under-Edge – August 23
Barclays closures
- 18 High Street, Burnham-on-Crouch – August 22
- 118 High Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme – August 25
- 29/30 High Street, Windsor – August 23
- 14 Market Hill, Diss – August 23
- 27 Market Hill, Framlingham – August 25
- 30/32 Bridge Street, Worksop – August 24
- 351/359 Soho Road, Birmingham – August 24
- 18 Stony Street, Frome – August 23
- 9 The Bulwark, Brecon – August 25
- 59 Grove Street, Wilmslow – August 25
