Santander Announces Closure of 44 UK Branches 300 Jobs Threatened

Santander has announced plans to close a further 44 bank branches across the UK, putting around 291 jobs at risk as customers increasingly move to online banking.

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The latest round of closures comes less than a year after the Spanish owned lender said it would shut 95 branches, around a quarter of its network, affecting about 750 staff.

Other banks are also reducing their high street presence. Lloyds Bank is set to close more than 100 branches by March under plans announced last year.

The decision has drawn renewed criticism from ministers and campaigners, who argue that branch closures limit access to cash and face to face services for older and vulnerable customers.

Shift to digital banking

Santander said the move reflects changing customer behaviour, with 96 percent of transactions now completed through digital channels.

The bank said it would continue to invest in a mix of physical and online services, including full service branches, counter free branches, reduced hour branches, Santander Locals, and its work cafes.

“We will continue to invest in both our branch network and our digital banking services so we can support customers however they choose to bank with us,” a spokesperson said.

Once the closures are complete, Santander UK will have 244 full service branches remaining, alongside 19 counter free branches, 36 reduced hour branches, six work cafes, and 111 Santander Local sites.

Community banking and access to cash

Santander said that in every area affected by a closure, customers will have access to either a nearby banking hub or a community banker.

Banking hubs are shared facilities funded by major high street banks and operated by not for profit organisation Cash Access UK. They are run by Post Office managers and allow customers of multiple banks to carry out basic transactions and receive in person support.

However, the rollout of hubs has been slower than planned, and concerns remain about so called banking deserts. In parts of Yorkshire, some residents are now more than 10 miles from their nearest bank branch.

As of 29 January, there are 210 banking hubs operating across the UK, with a further 40 planned.

Four towns affected by the Santander closures, Leighton Buzzard, Ormskirk, Whitehaven and Wilmslow, are set to receive new banking hubs.

A mixed picture on the high street

While most major banks are shrinking their branch networks, Nationwide, the UK’s largest building society, has pledged to keep all 696 of its remaining branches open until at least 2030.

Nationwide has reported an increase in customer visits over the past year, although it had already closed around 10 percent of its branches before making the commitment in 2023.

Across the banking industry, nearly two thirds of UK branches have closed over the past decade, with the pace of closures accelerating since the financial crisis.

Full list of Santander branch closures

Santander said the following branches are due to close on the dates listed:

Andover, Hampshire, 12 May 2026
Banbridge, County Down, 19 May 2026
Bangor, County Down, 29 April 2026
Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland, 28 April 2026
Bishop Auckland, County Durham, 5 May 2026
Boston, Lincolnshire, 28 April 2026
Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, 12 May 2026
Bridgwater, Somerset, 29 April 2026
Cwmbran, Gwent, 13 May 2026
Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, 12 May 2026
Evesham, Worcestershire, 28 April 2026
Glengormley, County Antrim, 6 May 2026
Golders Green, London, 13 May 2026
Gosport, Hampshire, 5 May 2026
Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, 5 May 2026
Heswall, Merseyside, 13 May 2026
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, 5 May 2026
Kirkintilloch, Lanarkshire, 29 April 2026
Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, by end of January 2027
Leyland, Lancashire, 6 May 2026
Liskeard, Cornwall, 20 May 2026
Macclesfield, Cheshire, 12 May 2026
Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, 6 May 2026
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, 29 April 2026
Merthyr Tydfil, Mid Glamorgan, 6 May 2026
Mold, Clwyd, 28 April 2026
Newbury, Berkshire, 29 April 2026
Newton Abbot, Devon, 19 May 2026
Northallerton, North Yorkshire, 6 May 2026
Ormskirk, Lancashire, by end of January 2027
Pontefract, West Yorkshire, 5 May 2026
Ramsgate, Kent, 28 April 2026
Redditch, Worcestershire, 13 May 2026
Ringwood, Hampshire, 6 May 2026
Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, 29 April 2026
Shirley, West Midlands, 20 May 2026
Stafford, Staffordshire, 19 May 2026
Stranraer, Wigtownshire, 13 May 2026
Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire, 12 May 2026
Tonbridge, Kent, 29 April 2026
Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, 5 May 2026
Whitehaven, Cumbria, by end of January 2027
Wilmslow, Cheshire, by end of January 2027
Woking, Surrey, 28 April 2026

Options for customers affected

Santander said customers can still access services through nearby Post Offices, banking hubs, or community bankers based in local venues such as libraries and community centres.

Customers who rely on branch services may also consider switching to another bank with a local branch, although there is no guarantee those branches will remain open long term.

Several banks are currently offering cash incentives to switch accounts, including TSB and Club Lloyds, subject to eligibility criteria.