Full list of 95 Santander branches to shut their doors in huge blow to UK high street

THE full list of Santander branches set to vanish from the high street has been revealed.

The major bank, which has over 14million UK customers, said today it would axe 95 branches from its estate as part of a shake up.

Santander is closing down 95 branches across the UKCredit: Reuters

Alongside this, the Spanish lender said it would also slash hours across 36 sites and switch 18 to be counter-free stores.

After the overhaul there will be around 349 sites left on the high street.

Of these locations, 36 branches will have reduced hours, 18 will be counter-free, and five will be work cafes.

The latter is a relatively new concept that brings together a free co-working area, cafe and banking services.

WHAT BANKS ARE CLOSING SITES

The firm joins a barrage of high streets bank cutting their estate in response to young people favouring online banking.

In January, NatWest said it was closing 53 sites, and this was on top of 48 sites the year prior and shuttered nearly 20 branches in 2023.

At the time, a spokesperson told The Sun customers were using "digital banking more than ever before".

Elsewhere, Lloyds Banking Group is also shutting 20 branches this month as it shifts more towards digital banking.

Lloyds Bank is closing 13 locations, including branches in Surbiton, Newquay, and Ealing, between March 3 and March 31.

Halifax will shut an additional six sites, with closures in Portsmouth, Camberley and Didcot scheduled between March 4 and March 27.

Meanwhile, Bank of Scotland will close a single branch in Montrose, Angus, on March 10.

Lloyds Banking Group has shut 537 bank branches across its three brands since June 2022.

Banks and building societies have closed 6,161 branches since January 2015, at a rate of around 53 each month, according to Which?

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR LOCAL BRANCH CLOSES

New rules from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) mean banks and building societies that shut branches have to make sure customers can still get cash.

When making changes, they need to check whether local communities will be left without important cash services, such as branches or ATMs, and fix any significant gaps.

Residents and community groups can also ask for a review of cash-access gaps, and the providers have to respond.

If big gaps are found, banks and building societies need to offer reasonable alternatives, like keeping branches or ATMs open until new ones are set up.

Solutions can include setting up banking hubs, new ATMs, or using Post Office facilities to keep cash services going.

The vast majority of banking customers are moving online and don't need a physical branch as much as before.

But any closures can be an issue for others, particularly elderly people in rural areas who don't have access to the internet.

However, if your local branch is set to close, or has recently, you have some options.

You can carry out most basic banking tasks at your nearest Post Office.

You won't be able to apply for a loan or open a new bank account at once though.

You can find your nearest Post Office branch by using the locator tool on its website.

Plus, hundreds more banking hubs are set to open to replace lost banking services following years of widespread branch closures.

Banking hubs offer a solution by allowing staff from multiple banks to share the same space, filling the gaps that branch closures left.

Banking hubs typically feature a counter service operated by the Post Office as standard, enabling customers to conduct routine banking transactions conveniently.