Santander has announced that nearly 100 Highstreet branches will close by the end of 2025, putting 750 jobs at risk.
Two of these closures fall within the Merseyside region with their Formby and Kirkby branches set to close, while the Liverpool Allerton Road branch is set to go “counter-free”.
The closures are set to begin on the 16th June, and stores will continue to close until the end of 2025.
A spokesperson for Santander has said: “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.”
The bank claims that financial transactions taking place within banks have fallen by 61% since 2019, as online banking has gained prominence.
As well as closures, 36 branches across the country will work under “reduced hours” from 30th June 2025, and a further 18 will go “counter-free”, including the branch on Liverpool’s Allerton Road.
The bank has stated, however, that customers can continue to conduct banking in 11,000 Post Office branches nationwide, and that all of the closures are within a mile of the nearest Post Office.
This comes after Santander reassured the country that it would remain in the UK last month following months of reports that the Spanish bank would be leaving the country.
The bank said: “While challenges remain, and there have been mixed signals about the UK’s recent economic performance, the outlook for our business has improved.”
