Overview

• Santander will shut 23 branches this month—10 next week and 13 later in June—followed by 37 more closures in July as part of its plan to exit 95 sites in 2025.
• NatWest confirmed 55 additional closures this year, including 52 branches and three mobile vans, adding to the 1,455 locations it has closed since 2015.
• To offset branch losses, Santander will station 95 community bankers in libraries and local venues, and banks are expanding shared banking hubs and Post Office partnerships.
• The Financial Conduct Authority has mandated continued cash access in affected areas, and Nationwide has pledged to keep nearly 700 branches open until at least 2028.
• Age UK and MPs warn that rising digital banking adoption risks leaving older and rural customers without essential face-to-face services.