Investigation
ALL CHANGE
Map reveals what 63 closed bank branches have become – from beautiful pub to boutique B&B as half remain EMPTY
Hundreds of bank branches close each year
HALF of bank branches that shut over a year ago are still sitting empty today, an investigation by the Sun has found.
Bank branch closures have swept the country at an alarming pace over the past nine years.
Roughly 645 branches shut for good last year as banks are increasingly encouraging customers to manage their money online.
The closures have left hundreds of businesses, vulnerable, elderly and low-income households without access to vital banking services.
In total, bank and building societies have shuttered 6,161 branches since 2015, at a rate of around 53 each month, according to consumer group Which?.
But on top of the loss of vital banking services, the closures have left behind thousands of empty plots on some of Britain's busiest high streets.
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Now, the Sun can reveal what happens to bank branches after they close their doors for the last time.
Our investigation found that of the 63 bank branches that shut a year ago in October 2023, more than 30 are still derelict today.
This includes Lloyds Bank branches in Kingsbridge, Northampton, Slough and Cromer.
Meanwhile, Barclays branches in Dunstable, Leighton Buzzard and Cardiff are still up for rent on commercial property websites.
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Just five of the buildings which housed bank branches this time last year have been taken over by new owners, while 19 of the 63 units have been looking for a tenant for the whole year.
What's happened to the rest of them?
While that may sound depressing, a number of abandoned bank branches have recently been given a new lease of life - some in weird and wonderful ways.
An old Lloyds Bank branch in Farnham, Surrey, has been transformed into a gorgeous new pub called the Teller Arms.
The Grade II-listed building in the town centre had been operating as a bank for more than a century before it closed last October.
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After a renovation, the pub/inn opened its doors last month and is complete with nine bedrooms and a roof terrace.
And it’s not the only branch to get a makeover into a hotel.
A Bank of Scotland branch in Ullapool, near Loch Ness is also now welcoming guests.
The Victorian stone property was built in 1904 and was originally home to the bank manager.
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It still operated as a bank twice a week until the branch was wound down in October last year.
Meanwhile, a Barclays bank branch in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, now houses a solicitor.
Another branch of the bank in Norwich has been taken on by an accounting firm.
And planning permission was recently put in for a Barclays bank branch in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, to be developed into a dental surgery.
Meanwhile, a Barclays branch in Dumfrieshire was put up for auction in April.
Unfortunately, many bank branches are now boarded up and derelict like Barclays' closed branch in Dumfires, which shut last October.
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What's the situation with bank branch closures?
More than five million people still rely on cash and face-to-face services to manage their money, according to ATM network LINK, while nearly a quarter of adults feel digitally excluded and are uncomfortable using digital apps.
But the pace of bank branch closures in all parts of the country is rapid.
Across the UK, there are now 30 parliamentary constituencies that do not have a single bank branch, according to consumer group Which?.
This means that just over three million people cannot manage their money in branch in the area where they live.
Meanwhile, another 56 constituencies have just one branch left.
Yorkshire and Humber has the fewest bank branches to serve its population of any UK region, according to Which?.
There are just 248 branches left in the area to serve a population of 5.6 million people.
This is equivalent to every Yorkshire resident sharing their bank branch with 22,600 others.
Jenny Ross, Which? Money editor, said: “"Bank branch closures can be devastating for those who rely on access to cash.
“New rules to protect free access to cash have been hard won and should make banks think twice about shutting branches without adequate replacements.”
As bank branches exit the High Street, many communities will receive a banking hub instead.
Every time a bank branch is closed, ATM network LINK assesses whether it leaves a cash access gap in the local area and if a new service such as a banking hub is needed.
These hubs allow customers of several different banks to manage their money in a branch.
They are run by the Post Office and are shared with major high street banks.
Inside there is a dedicated counter for cash services, which allow customers to withdraw and deposit cash.
Meanwhile, a local community banker can help with more complicated transactions such as mortgages, loans, pensions on dedicated days of the week.
So far there are 76 banking hubs which are already open but a total of 168 have been planned.
Meanwhile, banks have committed to set up 350 hubs by 2029.
“Banking hubs that are already open are playing an important role in regenerating High Streets all over the country,” said Adrian Roberts, Deputy CEO of LINK.
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But Ms Ross said the pace at which they are rolled out needs to be accelerated for customers to be able to use them.
"Banking hubs will play a key role in ensuring access to cash, but their rollout remains far too slow for consumers to feel their benefits," she said.
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