High street banking has dealt another blow to UK customers today as Santander confirmed plans to close dozens of locations. The Spanish banking giant announced that 44 branches across the country will shut their doors for good. This move puts nearly 300 jobs at risk and leaves many communities without access to face-to-face financial services. However there is a silver lining for residents in Wiltshire as key local sites have been spared from the axe.
The decision comes as lenders continue to aggressively cut costs in response to the changing habits of consumers. Santander stated that the shift toward mobile and online banking is the primary driver behind these closures. While this news brings relief to some towns where branches will remain open it raises serious questions about the future of physical money management in Britain.
Details of the Latest Cutbacks
Santander has released a definitive list of the 44 sites that will be disappearing from the high street. This latest round of closures is expected to impact 291 employees across the network. The bank has entered into a consultation process with the affected staff members and unions. They aim to find alternative roles for these workers within the wider business where possible.
This announcement follows a previous restructuring in March where 95 branches were earmarked for closure. Once this new phase is complete Santander will be left with a network of 244 full service branches across the United Kingdom.
Key figures from the announcement:
- 44 total branches set to close in this wave.
- 291 jobs are currently at risk of redundancy.
- 244 branches will remain operational after the cuts.
- 30+ remaining branches are scheduled for refurbishment.
A spokesperson for the bank explained the rationale. She noted that customers are voting with their feet by choosing digital channels over counter service. The bank must adapt its network to match this usage. The goal is to balance physical presence with the need to invest in a robust digital platform that millions of customers use daily.
Wiltshire Branches Escape the Axe
Residents in Chippenham, Trowbridge and Salisbury can breathe a collective sigh of relief today. The Santander branches in these town centres were conspicuously absent from the closure list. This means face-to-face services will continue in these areas for the foreseeable future.
This retention is a significant victory for the local economy in Wiltshire. Many neighbouring counties have seen their banking facilities decimated in recent years. Keeping these three major branches open ensures that local businesses and residents who rely on cash deposits can still operate normally.
The surviving Wiltshire locations:
- Chippenham: Remains fully operational.
- Trowbridge: Safe from the current round of cuts.
- Salisbury: Will continue to serve the south of the county.
There is even better news for these surviving locations. Santander has hinted at further investment for the sites that stay open. The bank has already refurbished more than 220 sites over the last six years. They plan to update another 30 locations in the coming months. This could mean upgraded facilities and more modern interiors for the Wiltshire branches.
The Decline of High Street Banking
The trend of bank closures is not unique to Santander. It is part of a massive industry wide retreat from the high street. Data from consumer group Which? suggests that banks and building societies have closed more than 6,000 branches since 2015. This represents a shuttering of nearly 60 percent of the UK’s banking network in less than a decade.
Competitors like Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest have all made similar announcements recently. The argument is always the same. Fewer people are using branches. Statistics show that the average branch creates a fraction of the footfall it did ten years ago. Most simple transactions like checking a balance or transferring money happen on smartphone apps.
However critics argue that this leaves vulnerable groups behind. The elderly, those on low incomes and people in rural areas often rely on physical branches. They may not have reliable internet access or the confidence to use digital tools. When a branch closes it often removes the last free ATM in a village or small town. This makes accessing cash difficult and harms local small businesses that trade in currency.
“We will continue to invest in both our branch network as well as our digital banking services so we can be there to support our customers however they choose to bank with us.”
Santander Spokesperson
Alternatives for Displaced Customers
As banks close their doors they are pointing customers toward alternatives. The most common solution is the Post Office. Santander has an arrangement that allows its customers to carry out everyday banking at Post Office counters. This includes paying in cash and cheques, withdrawing money and checking balances.
Another emerging solution is the creation of “Banking Hubs.” These are shared spaces on the high street run by the Post Office. Staff from different banks visit on specific days of the week to help customers.
What you can do at a Banking Hub:
- Monday: NatWest staff might be available.
- Tuesday: Lloyds staff might be available.
- Wednesday: Santander staff might be available.
- Every day: Counter services for cash and deposits.
Santander is also rolling out “Work Cafes” in larger cities. These are hybrid spaces that function as a bank branch, a co-working space and a coffee shop. It is an attempt to make the bank branch a destination rather than just a place to stand in a queue. While this model works well in metropolitan hubs it offers little comfort to rural customers who just lost their local branch.
If you are affected by a closure you should check your options immediately. You can switch accounts to a bank that still has a local presence. The Current Account Switch Service makes this process easy and guarantees all your direct debits move over automatically.
We are seeing a permanent change in how Britain banks. While the survival of the Wiltshire branches is a positive sign for the region the national picture remains bleak for supporters of traditional banking.
