Bank branch closures IMPACT REVEALED: Which area has been worst hit by shut downs?
Bank branches are shutting down across all regions but Yorkshire is worse hit currently
GETTY/PA
New research has determined the areas worse hit by the ongoing trend of bank branch closures which have swept communities across the country.
The rise in online banking and changing consumer behaviours have resulted in many high street banks, including NatWest, Lloyds and Barclays, shutting down locations.
Consumer champion Which? found that Yorkshire and the Humber is the region with the worst ratio of bank branches to population in the UK.
As it stands, the region only has 248 branches left to cater to 5.6 million people which is the equivalent to 4.4 branches per 100,000 people.
For context, this means ever Yorkshire resident essentially shares their branch with 22,557 others.
The region has 728 pen bank branches back in January 2025 which means more than two-thirds of sites have closed down.
Do you have a money story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing money@gbnews.uk.
Bank branch closures are sweeping the nation GETTY Access to cash services has become a contentious issue in recent years with campaigners calling for stricter action on banks to ensure branches are available in their area.
Scotland is considered to have the "best" access to branches with 6.9 sites per 100,000 people, but the nation's population is unevenly spread and those in rural areas face long journeys when trying to get to banking services.
Notably, the West Midlands fared slightly better with six branches for every 100,00 people.
After Yorkshire, East Midlands region had the second worst access to banks per population, with only 4.6 branches per 100,000 Britons.
Overall, the South East was the region that has lost the most branches since 2015, with 856 locations shutting down.
This is followed by London with 804 closures but both of these regions had more branches serving larger populations.
Looking at individuals banks, Barclays shut down the most branches at 92, followed by HSBC at 73 and 69 NatWest sites.
Halifax, which was founded in the region, continues to have the biggest presence of any banking institute in the county.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
High streets have been hit by a wave of store closures since the pandemic, on top of banks shutting down PASam Richardson, the deputy editor of Which? Money, explained: "Bank branch closures can have severe impacts on local communities including on those who still want to use cash.
"New rules to protect free access to cash have been hard won and should make banks think twice about shutting branches without adequate replacements.
"While Yorkshire and the Humber may hold the dubious record for the worst branch access, this is a nationwide problem.
"Banking hubs will play a key role in replacing shuttered branches, but their rollout remains far too slow for consumers to feel their benefits."
You may like
