Opening hours have been slashed at 36 Santander branches around the country from this week, with all of them now closing for at least two days during the normal working week. Most of these branches previously welcomed customers five days a week, typically from 9:30am to 3pm, and some even offered limited Saturday morning hours.
However, customers can no longer rely on their local branch being open during normal hours. In Caerphilly, for example, one branch will now only operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9:30am to 3pm – effectively creating a three-day closure each week. The move is part of broader plans previously announced by Santander, which also involve the permanent closure of 95 branches.
At the time of that announcement, published in March, Santander said the changes would result in 750 job cuts. At the start of this year, Santander had 444 branches.
You can see if your bank is affected using our interactive map.
For customers affected by the closure of their local branch, Santander is offering support through its network of community bankers, who will be available for limited periods at designated community venues.
Additionally, customers can access essential services at banking hubs, which are shared high street locations where people can deposit and withdraw cash and manage everyday banking needs. Find your closest banking hub here.
Santander account holders also have the option to use their nearest Post Office to deposit and withdraw cash, check balances, and pay in cheques. The bank has cited the growing popularity of online banking as the main reason for the branch closures.
A Santander spokesperson said: “As customer behaviour changes, we are ensuring that our branches remain fit for the future. Our new combination of full-service branches, alongside Work Cafés, counter-free branches and reduced-hours branches, aims to provide the right balance between digital banking and face-to-face money management and guidance.
“As a business, we must move with customers and balance our investment across all the places where we interact with customers, to deliver the very best for them now and in the future. Closing a branch is always a very difficult decision and we spend a great deal of time assessing where and when we do this and how to minimise the impact it may have on our customers.
“However, we believe that the introduction of our new Community Bankers and the exciting plans we have for our remaining network of 349 branches and Work Cafés, alongside the rapid and innovative improvements to our award-winning mobile banking app, will provide the right balance of digital banking and human interaction when required.”
Despite its cost-cutting measures, Santander says it has agreed to a £2.65billion deal to buy the TSB Banking Group. This will see Santander “integrate” 230 TSB branches into its portfolio, including around 70 within a mile of existing Santander branches.
Santander’s double “bank holiday” branches
- Alton
- Banbury
- Barry
- Beeston
- Bicester
- Braintree
- Bury St Edmunds
- Caerphilly
- Chippenham
- Cirencester
- Cricklewood
- Durham
- Ely
- Grantham
- Great Yarmouth
- Harlesden
- Hitchin
- Irvine
- Kendal
- Kettering
- Kilmarnock
- Lowestoft
- Newark
- Penrith
- Petersfield
- Retford
- Spalding
- Stamford
- Stevenage
- Stroud
- Sudbury
- Trowbridge
- Washington
- Wellingborough
- West Bridgford
- Worksop
