Several of Britain's biggest retail lenders, including Lloyds Banking Group, NatWest Group and Barclays, have confirmed plans to shut a combined 311 high-street bank branches, intensifying the long-running retreat from face-to-face banking across the UK.
The closures, scheduled throughout 2026, represent one of the largest single waves of branch shutdowns in recent years and have sparked anger among customers, small businesses and consumer groups who warn that vital services are being stripped from communities too quickly.
