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.
Thousands of customers will lose access to their local bank branch next weekGetty
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:
Kilkeel, County Down
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 22Queen Street, Morley – August 222 Market Place, Wymondham – August 2238 Union Street, Ryde – August 2225 High Street, Windsor – August 22
Halifax and Lloyds Bank closures
24 Bridge Street, Tadcaster (Halifax) – August 2223 Long Street, Wotton-Under-Edge – August 23
Barclays closures
18 High Street, Burnham-on-Crouch – August 22118 High Street, Newcastle-under-Lyme – August 2529/30 High Street, Windsor – August 2314 Market Hill, Diss – August 2327 Market Hill, Framlingham – August 2530/32 Bridge Street, Worksop – August 24351/359 Soho Road, Birmingham – August 2418 Stony Street, Frome – August 239 The Bulwark, Brecon – August 2559 Grove Street, Wilmslow – August 25