The banking giant has announced 58 high street branches will be shut ‘in response to changing customer behaviour’ with 96% of customers now banking digitally
Santander is poised to axe 58 of its high street branches in 2026. The banking giant revealed last week that a further 44 branches will close “in response to changing customer behaviour” as growing numbers of punters switch to digital banking platforms.
The shuttered outlets will be replaced with a weekly Santander Local service operating from locations such as libraries or community centres, or through Banking Hub facilities provided by the Post Office, the firm said.
The bank stated: “Approximately 291 colleagues would be placed at risk of redundancy if the proposals proceed after consultation with the unions has been completed; however, there will be a number of redeployment opportunities that impacted colleagues can apply for.”
Following these changes, Santander’s branch network will consist of 305 locations, including 244 full-service branches, 19 counter-free sites, 36 reduced-hour premises, and six Work Cafés, plus 111 Santander Local, reports the Express.
The lender has seen a massive increase in customers choosing online banking, with 96% of all transactions now carried out digitally. The company logged a 64% rise in digital transactions since 2019, whilst financial dealings processed in physical branches plummeted by 66% over the same period.
Branch-based financial transactions have tumbled by 13% in just the past year, Santander disclosed. A representative for Santander UK stated: “In response to a continuing and sizeable shift towards customers using digital banking, we are making changes to our branches to better support our customers.
“We will continue to invest in both our branch network – comprising of full-service branches, counter-free branches, reduced-hour branches, Santander Locals, and our increasingly popular Work Cafés – as well as our digital banking services, so we can be there to support our customers however they choose to bank with us.”
Santander has pledged to contact all potentially vulnerable customers by phone to help them find alternative branches or guide them on how to use digital, telephone and Post Office banking facilities.
Full list of 58 Santander branches set to close in 2026:
England:
- Andover
- Berwick Upon Tweed
- Bexhill-on-Sea
- Bishop Auckland
- Boston
- Bridgwater
- Dover
- Dunstable
- East Grinstead
- Evesham
- Gosport
- Heswall
- Huntingdon
- Leighton Buzzard
- Leyland
- Liskeard
- London (North West)
- Lytham St Annes
- Macclesfield
- Maldon
- Mansfield
- Melton Mowbray
- Morley
- Newbury
- Newton Abbot
- Northallerton
- North Walsham
- Ormskirk
- Pontefract
- Ramsgate
- Redcar
- Redditch
- Ringwood
- Saffron Walden
- Scunthorpe
- Shirley
- Stafford
- Stratford Upon Avon
- Tonbridge
- Uckfield
- Urmston
- Welwyn Garden City
- Whitehaven
- Wilmslow
- Woking
Northern Ireland:
- Banbridge
- Bangor
- Enniskillen
- Glengormley
Scotland & Wales:
- 50. Kirkintilloch
- 51. Stranraer
- 52. Turriff
- 53. Bridgend
- 54. Cwmbran
- 55. Haverfordwest
- 56. Holyhead
- 57. Merthyr Tydfil
- 58. Mold
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