Seven more Santander branches across England and Wales are due to close next week, bringing the total number of sites shuttering in August to 14 as the bank accelerates a network review it first announced in March. The closures — which include Brixton, Formby, Sidcup, Edgware Road, Holywell, Willerby and Plympton on dates between 11 and 14 August — form part of a larger programme that Santander says will see 95 branches withdrawn and others reconfigured this year. According to local lists compiled by consumer guides, some branches have already closed earlier in the month.

Santander set out the plan formally in a March 19, 2025 press release that described a redesigned branch footprint intended to reflect rising digital usage. The bank said the refreshed network will comprise 349 sites in total: 290 full‑service branches, 36 reduced‑hours outlets, 18 counter‑free branches and five Work Cafés. Santander has framed the moves as an attempt to balance digital channels with targeted face‑to‑face support for customers who need it.

The reshaping of the branch estate has been accompanied by substantial job losses. Industry reporting and Santander’s own disclosures show more than 2,000 roles have been cut as the lender seeks to reduce costs and invest in automation; the bank’s chief executive, Mike Regnier, has warned that further reductions “might well be” necessary by the end of 2025 as restructuring continues. Those staffing changes have been presented by Santander as part of a broader simplification of operations, but they have also fuelled concern about the erosion of in‑person banking capacity.

Those concerns are set against a wider, long‑running contraction of the UK high‑street banking network. Independent research published in 2024 found that over 6,000 bank branches have closed since 2015, a milestone campaigners say risks leaving whole constituencies without convenient access to cash and face‑to‑face services. Consumer groups and trade commentators argue that closures can be “devastating” for people who cannot or prefer not to bank online, and some have urged regulators and politicians to ensure shared banking hubs and alternative arrangements are put in place quickly.

Santander says it is attempting to mitigate the local impacts. The bank’s March statement outlined a rollout of “Community Bankers” who will visit affected communities weekly to provide face‑to‑face money management and support, alongside directing customers to Post Office services and designated banking hubs where appropriate. A bank spokesperson has reiterated that the changes are designed to make branches “fit for the future” and to strike a balance between digital banking and personal guidance. That explanation reflects the company’s position but has not satisfied all consumer groups, who say commitments on visiting services and shared hubs require clear guarantees and robust local monitoring.

Practical information for affected customers has been collected by consumer websites and local listings: guides published in March and follow‑up roundups provide full lists of the sites earmarked for closure together with dates and addresses so customers can check how their local services will be affected. These resources also point customers towards alternative ways to bank, including post‑office counter services, online banking, telephone support and the new Work Café sites where they exist.

The wave of Santander closures is the latest chapter in a structural shift on British high streets that banking groups have pointed to as inevitable as customers move online. Yet campaigners, local politicians and consumer bodies continue to press for measures that protect people who need face‑to‑face services. Santander’s programme was first announced in March and many of the closure dates were published shortly afterwards; given the pace of change, customers are advised to verify the status of their local branch directly with the bank or via the consumer guides compiled for affected areas.

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Source: Noah Wire Services