Santander has announced around 750 jobs are at risk of redundancy under plans to shut another 95 branch.
The lender has cited changing customer habits and the rise of digital banking as key reasons for the closures.
The banking giant announced plans to shut branches in June, while also reducing hours at 36 locations and converting 18 sites into counter-free banking hubs as part of a major shake-up.
Branches with reduced hours will operate on a set schedule, opening either on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm or on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm, with Saturdays open from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
However, the Caerphilly branch will follow a different schedule, opening only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am to 3:00 pm.
The new reduced hours will come into effect from June 30.
Santander has announced around 750 jobs are at risk
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Santander, which currently operates 444 branches, will be left with 290 full-service locations and five work cafés—free co-working spaces—once the closures and restructuring are complete.
Santander is expanding its Work Café concept, with two new locations recently opened and another site set to be announced soon. These spaces offer free co-working areas, superfast WiFi, and event facilities for both customers and non-customers as part of a global initiative to support local communities and businesses.
Alongside this, the bank has invested tens of millions of pounds into upgrading its branch network. Over the past two years, 99 branches have been refurbished, with another 50 set for completion this year. These upgraded locations feature digital self-service rooms for increased privacy and improved access to banking services.
Santander is also enhancing its digital banking experience, including improvements to its mobile banking app, chat service, and telephone banking.
The closure of local branches will leave many struggling to access in person services
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Its new mobile app, launched in 2024, recently won a Digital Banker Award for Financial Inclusion, and the bank continues to invest in digital tools like My Home Manager to further support customers.
The move is the latest blow to in-person banking services, with the lender citing changing customer habits and the rise of digital banking as key reasons for the closures.
Santander customers affected by branch closures will still have access to in-person banking support through alternative services
The bank will offer community bankers, who visit local venues at set times to assist with account management, and customers can also use banking hubs—shared high street spaces where they can withdraw and deposit cash and handle other everyday banking tasks.
Additionally, Santander customers can visit their nearest Post Office to pay in and withdraw cash, check balances, and deposit cheques.
The closures come as Santander cites a shift towards digital banking, reporting a 63 per cent increase in online transactions since 2019, while in-branch financial transactions have fallen by 61 per cent in the same period.
Despite the closures, 93 per cent of the UK population will still be within 10 miles of a Santander branch, according to the bank.
The closures come as Santander cites a shift towards digital banking
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To support those most affected, Santander has confirmed it will contact all potentially vulnerable customers by phone if their local branch is closing.
A Santander UK spokesperson said the bank is adapting to changing customer behaviour to ensure branches remain “fit for the future.”
“Our new combination of full-service branches, Work Cafés, counter-free branches, and reduced-hours locations aims to provide the right balance between digital banking and face-to-face support,” they said, adding that the bank must “move with customers and balance investment” across all areas where it interacts with them.
Acknowledging that “closing a branch is always a very difficult decision,” the spokesperson stressed that Santander takes careful consideration before making such moves.
Santander Bank Branch Closures
Closures will begin in June and continue through August, affecting locations across the UK.
June Closures
- June 14 – Colne
- June 16 – Clacton, Croydon, Gateshead Metro, Launceston, Peterhead
- June 17 – Arbroath, Kilburn, Louth, Torquay
- June 18 – Kidderminster
- June 23 – Blackwood, Dungannon, Eltham, Glasgow MX
- June 24 – Aberdare, Glasgow LDHQ, Greenford, Magherafelt
- June 25 – Brecon
- June 30 – Fleet, Musselburgh, Portadown, Swadlincote
July Closures
- July 1 – Armagh, Borehamwood, Market Harborough
- July 2 – Malvern
- July 5 – Blyth, Canvey Island
- July 7 – Caernarfon, Camborne, Cumbernauld, Ruislip, Tenterden
- July 8 – Didsbury, Herne Bay, St Austell, Tottenham
- July 11 – Brixton, Formby, Sidcup
- July 14 – Bognor Regis, Holloway, Honiton, Plympton
- July 15 – Exmouth, Hackney, Rawtenstall, Seaford
- July 16 – Felixstowe
- July 21 – Falmouth, Saltcoats
- July 22 – Kirkby
- July 23 – Crowborough, Shaftesbury, Strabane
- July 24 – Colwyn Bay, Hawick
- July 28 – New Milton, Pudsey
- July 29 – Farnham, Hertford
- July 30 – Ross-On-Wye, St Neots
- July 31 – Stokesley
August Closures
- August 5 – Blyth, Canvey Island, Rustington
- August 6 – Downpatrick, Finchley, Whitley Bay
- August 11 – Edgware Road
- August 12 – Holywell
- August 13 – Holywell, Willerby
- August 14 – Plympton
Closures with Dates to Be Announced
Counter-Free Branches (Effective Dates)
- June 16 – Abingdon, Accrington, Stirling
- June 23 – Eastleigh, Edgware, Neath
- June 30 – Bromsgrove, Northwich, Sittingbourne, Streatham
- July 7 – Bracknell
- July 14 – Hartlepool, Nuneaton
- August 4 – Gravesend, Liverpool AR
