Story perspectives

UK Review Targets 150 Lloyds Branch Closures, Hub Shortage

6/6/2026

Summary

UK Government Review

UK government launched an independent review to protect face-to-face banking access.
Since January 2015, 6,795 UK branches have closed, a 69% reduction from the 2015 total.
Lloyds Banking Group will close almost 150 UK branches by March 2027, including Staines, West Byfleet and Redhill, after an IT outage halted payments for thousands.
Banking-hub advocates say 1,200 hubs are needed but only 236 operate.

Summary

NatWest Delays Closures

NatWest will halt branch closures until at least 2029, invest £50 million in network for 2026/27, and run a mobile-branch service serving 577 communities weekly, traveling 14,000 miles to reach 144,000 customers in 2025.
Pop-up sites will open in retail parks, shopping centres and universities for rural areas.
NatWest has delivered over 150,000 financial health-check sessions and its staff will visit schools, workplaces via Thrive and Financial Foundations programmes to boost money confidence.

History

Historical Context

In 2008 the UK government injected £37 billion into major banks—including Lloyds and RBS/NatWest—to stabilise the financial system. That rescue led to a wave of branch rationalisation, with Lloyds closing 400 branches (12% of its network) between 2009 and 2013. Today an independent review echoes that era, as Lloyds plans 150 more closures while NatWest commits £50 million to maintain community outlets.

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UK Government Review

UK government launched an independent review to protect face-to-face banking access.
Since January 2015, 6,795 UK branches have closed, a 69% reduction from the 2015 total.
Lloyds Banking Group will close almost 150 UK branches by March 2027, including Staines, West Byfleet and Redhill, after an IT outage halted payments for thousands.
Banking-hub advocates say 1,200 hubs are needed but only 236 operate.

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