Areas of UK with ‘worst branch access’ per person revealed by Which?

More than 3 successful each 5 slope branches crossed the UK person closed their doors permanently since 2015, according to Which?.

Yorkshire and the Humber has conscionable 4.4 branches near per 100,000 radical – making it the portion with the worst subdivision entree – the user group’s investigation found.

The East Midlands was recovered to person the 2nd worst branch-to-people ratio, with 4.6 branches per 100,000 people.

Scotland has the “best” entree to branches, astatine 6.9 per 100,000 people, but Which? said the uneven dispersed of its colonisation means radical surviving successful much agrarian areas look agelong journeys to usage a bank.

The probe recovered 6,161 branches person been unopen crossed the UK since 2015, representing implicit three-fifths (62%) of the banking network.

Which? said the interaction connected section communities tin beryllium devastating, with immoderate of the astir susceptible members of society, specified arsenic those surviving with disabilities oregon connected little incomes, reliant connected branches and either incapable oregon unwilling to marque the power to banking digitally.

The South East is the portion that has mislaid the astir branches, Which? said, with 856 closures, followed by London with 804 branches shut. However, these regions had much branches serving larger populations.

Across the UK, determination are 30 parliamentary constituencies – representing conscionable implicit 3 cardinal radical successful full – without a slope branch, portion different 56 are near with lone 1 subdivision remaining, researchers said.

New rules overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulator came into effect past week.

They mean banks volition request to springiness much information to a section community’s currency needs earlier deciding to adjacent a branch.

Banking hubs volition play a cardinal relation successful replacing shuttered branches, but their rollout remains acold excessively dilatory for consumers to consciousness their benefits

Sam Richardson, Which? Money

The watchdog volition necessitate firms to cheque whether further services would beryllium needed should a subdivision unopen its doors oregon an ATM beryllium switched disconnected – and support facilities unfastened until the further currency services are available.

New FCA rules besides springiness section residents much accidental implicit what their community’s currency needs are. People tin petition an appraisal of whether determination are gaps successful section currency entree and wherever important gaps are found, providers volition person to present tenable further currency services.

Banks are besides sharing facilities done banking hubs.

Which? said fixed the fig of branches that person closed successful caller years, it wants to spot galore much hubs opened.

Major banks person precocious committed to opening 350 hubs by 2029.

Sam Richardson, lawman exertion of Which? Money, said: “Bank subdivision closures tin person terrible impacts connected section communities, including connected those who inactive privation to usage cash. New rules to support escaped entree to currency person been hard won and should marque banks deliberation doubly astir shutting branches without capable replacements.

“While Yorkshire and the Humber whitethorn clasp the dubious grounds for the worst subdivision access, this is simply a nationwide problem. Banking hubs volition play a cardinal relation successful replacing shuttered branches, but their rollout remains acold excessively dilatory for consumers to consciousness their benefits.

“The Government indispensable clasp banks’ feet to the occurrence to guarantee the commitments they’ve made to acceptable up 350 hubs by 2029 are met – and should beryllium prepared to reappraisal the people upwards if necessary.”

A UK Finance spokesperson said: “The banking manufacture is committed to ensuring determination is continued entree to currency for those who request it. With less radical visiting slope branches connected a regular basis, firms person to marque hard decisions astir maintaining their branches.

“Significant ongoing concern is being made to present this commitment, including shared banking hubs, which are being opened astir the state with galore opened crossed Yorkshire already.

The banking manufacture is committed to ensuring determination is continued entree to currency for those who request it

UK Finance spokesperson

“There is besides the enactment to bash a batch of day-to-day banking astatine Post Office branches crossed the country. If you are acrophobic astir your section slope subdivision closing, delight interaction them and they volition assistance you find the champion alternate for your needs.”

Adrian Roberts, lawman main enforcement of ATM and currency entree web Link, said: “While much radical are becoming comfy banking and paying for things digitally, determination are inactive millions of radical who trust connected currency oregon conscionable similar to usage it.

“Our information shows that they aren’t conscionable the oldest oregon the poorest successful society, but besides radical who deficiency assurance oregon the skills and devices to slope digitally.

“The bully quality is that the entree to currency rules acceptable by the FCA mean we volition beryllium seeing much banking hubs connected precocious streets each crossed the country, which alongside free-to-use ATMs and station offices volition guarantee entree to currency is protected for galore years to come. To date, Link has recommended 163 banking hubs.”

Cash Access UK, an organisation acceptable up to assistance support entree to currency and funded by large banks, precocious deed a full of 1 cardinal transactions carried retired successful banking hubs passim the UK.

Cat Farrow, lawsuit and strategy manager astatine Cash Access UK, said: “Banking hubs let customers of each banks to travel into 1 cardinal determination connected the precocious thoroughfare to implicit basal banking services.

“These, alongside deposit services, which enactment tiny businesses are helping to support entree to currency successful the community. To date, determination are presently 85 banking hubs unfastened crossed the state and we expect to person 100 unfastened by the extremity of the twelvemonth and hundreds much successful the coming years. While much radical are choosing to wage with their phones oregon contactless cards, it’s captious we proceed to enactment radical who trust connected cash.”

The fig of slope branches counted by Which? and the full per 100,000 people. The probe was carried retired up to September 23, 2024:

Northern Ireland, 110, 5.8

East of England, 328, 5.1

Yorkshire and the Humber, 248, 4.4

The 30 constituencies without a slope branch, according to Which?:

Central Suffolk and North Ipswich

Chester South and Eddisbury

Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme

East Worthing and Shoreham

Penistone and Stocksbridge

Reading West and Mid Berkshire