Lloyds Banking Group, which is made up of Lloyds Bank, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, has confirmed plans to close 136 of its high street branches in a blow to customers and the economy.
Bank branch closures have become a common trend in recent years with consumer champion Which?’s research finding that more than 6,000 sites have shut for good in the UK since 2015.
The banking group has announced that it will cease operations at 61 Lloyds Bank, 61 Halifax and 14 Bank of Scotland branches between May of this year and March 2026.
This latest round of closures comes only weeks after the banking giant overhauled its branch network to allow customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland to use locations across any of its brands.
In its announcement, Lloyds cited changing consumer habits as the reasoning behind sites closing down as more Britons opt to use mobile services in lieu of physical banking.
Furthermore, the financial institution confirmed that all workers in branches affected by the closures will be offered jobs elsewhere within the banking group.
A spokeswoman for Lloyds said: “Over 20 million customers are using our apps for on-demand access to their money and customers have more choice and flexibility than ever for their day-to-day banking.
“Alongside our apps, customers can also use telephone banking, visit a community banker or use any Halifax, Lloyds or Bank of Scotland branch, giving access to many more branches.
