Interactive Map Reveals Areas with Limited Access to Traditional Banks in the UK

Fifteen banking deserts have been discovered in the UK as brick and mortar branches continue to vanish from our high streets, figures reveal. 

Adur, Bolsover, Broadland, Clackmannshire, Forest of Dean, and North Warwickshire are regions classified as banking grey zones with fewer than five banks each, as reported by NOMIS.

Ribbie Valley, Rutland, South Derbyshire, Three Rivers, and West Lindsey also share this designation, sparking concerns about the elderly’s access to digital banking services.

Elsewhere in North East Derbyshire there are absolutely no banks whatsoever, despite the district boasting a population of over 100,000 people. 

The interactive map provided is derived from the latest NOMIS Business Counts information, which approximates the number of banks and building societies to the nearest five.

Among the hardest hit areas was Pendle in Lancashire, with only three building societies shared between its population of 97,039. 

In Nelson, there is only one Halifax bank left after TSB, Santander, Virgin Money, and Barclays upped and left over the years.   

The decline in banks has spelled disaster for the ‘dying’ town with very little to offer visitors, as well as little help for the elderly. 

Barbara Hope, 73, a former legal secretary, said people would often visit the town to do their banking but now the town, which lacks banks, shops, and more is ‘dying’. 

She told MailOnline: ‘It’s not surprising the banks have all gone. There’s nothing much left in the town for shoppers to come for.

‘Even the pub that gave the town its name has shut down. People used to come into the town to do their banking and then do a bit of shopping.

‘No banks, means less people coming in to shop so the businesses struggle and close down.’

Local Peter Schofield, 68, echoed her thoughts, saying the town once had all ‘the major banks’ but has been left ‘struggling’. 

Divulging how he visits his Halifax branch ‘at least once a week’, he continued: ‘I like being able to go in and speak to someone in person.

‘You get to know the staff and they know you. We need to keep using the branch because if we don’t, we will lose it and the staff will lose their jobs.

‘I still like to pay in cash because it keeps me help keep a track on what I’m spending.’

Barnoldswick – a market town around six miles away – was the first Lancashire town to open a banking hub after locals were left with no branches in 2023. 

Staff from various outlets such as Natwest, Santander and other are available on specified days to discuss more complicated financial matters with customers. 

Seventy-year-old Hilary Openshaw, an ex-nurse, is adamant that corporations ‘don’t care about the older generation who still use cash.’

‘I don’t drive so I’d have to rely on public transport or someone giving me a lift,’ she said.

‘When Barclays shut its branch, they said it was because only 16 customers regularly used the bank and the majority used the app to pay bills.

‘That’s fine but what happens if you need a large amount of cash fast? The cash machines will only give you a certain amount each day.

While 67-year-old Liz Porter would prefer to have a high street branch, she has been forced to become accustomed to tricky bank apps.

‘When the banks had a branch in every town and you had a query, it felt easier and less hassle just to nip in and speak to somebody,’ the secretary said.

‘Now that option has gone and I do miss it. I also feel it’s more difficult get withdraw my money without having to jump through hoops.’

A 15-minute drive north of Barnoldswick in Colne only Santander and Skipton Building society remain. 

Terry Sutherland, 75, a former window cleaner said: ”Banks don’t care about the man on the street. 

It’s all about cutting-costs and making as much money as possible to keep the shareholders happy.

‘Older people like me rely on actually being able to go into a bank if there is a problem.

Stephen Holt, 42, who runs a mobile food van, said: ‘I try not to use a card machine and prefer cash but banking it is a pain.

‘Banks don’t want to deal with cash and I feel like I’m being discourage from going into the bank with my takings.

‘I prefer cash because I get to keep more of what I earn. Banks should do more for their customers and put them first.’

According to NOMIS date, areas like Blaby, Southwark and Gloucester have lost around 97 percent, 91 percent and 89 percent of its banks since 2010.

And it isn’t only rural areas suffering either, with major cities such as London, Bristol and Edinburgh haemorrhaging brick and mortar banks. 

Since 2010, London has lost 475 building societies, with Edinburgh coming in second with 205 losses and then the West England city seeing 285 banks vanish. 

It comes after around 400 towns lost their last local brick and mortar banks as recently as April this year.

The avalanche of brick and mortar bank closures has raised fears among experts that the elderly will be the ‘hardest hit’.

Caroline Abrahams, Age UK Charity Director, said: ‘The continuing avalanche of bank branch closures means that by the end of this year there will be considerably fewer opportunities for face-to-face banking than there were even just a couple of years ago. 

‘Older people living in rural and semi-rural areas are likely to be the hardest hit, but those in towns and cities are not immune. 

‘Our research found that more than 4 million older people with a bank account in Britain are not managing their money online and so are at high risk of digital exclusion.

‘Age UK is calling for the protection of physical banking services for those who do not, or cannot bank online, and for the accelerated roll-out of shared Banking Hubs in areas where bank branches are fast withering away. 

‘We applaud the banks for coming together to set up shared Hubs, but it’s important that alternative services are set up speedily, especially in those areas with the greatest need.

‘The disappearance of face-to-face banking risks cutting a significant minority of the older population out of an essential service, making it difficult if not impossible for them to manage their money and maintain their independence.’

Natalie Turner, Deputy Director for Localities at the Centre for Ageing Better, a charity dedicated to tackling inequalities among the elderly, said: ‘We consider it vital that people are still able to access in-person services like banking.

‘For many people, online banking services offer no easy-to-use alternative. There are still around three million people aged 65+ in the UK, and more than one in 20 of all adults who, for a variety of reasons, have never used the internet and whose only option for banking is to use physical, face-to-face services.

‘Physical services which offer face-to-face conversations with people also have an important role to play in combating social isolation. 

‘For some people living alone, visiting their local bank or shops or other high street services might be the only social interaction they may have on a particular day.

‘If we want to develop more age-friendly communities where people of all ages are able to live healthy and active later lives then we need to have business and services that are within a short walk or simple journey on public transport.’ 

Since the beginning of 2022, there have been 388 bank closure announcements in areas with no other banking option for locals to access nearby, according to figures previously reported by the Mirror.

In September, Lloyds Banking Group announced it was shuttering 55 of its Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Lloyds bank branches.  

The closures will see 32 Halifax, 19 Lloyds and four Bank of Scotland locations close their doors for the final time next year. 

These closures mean more than 270 branches run by the group will shutter this year and the next.

The majority of the closures will take place in England, but there will also be losses in Wales and Scotland, The Sun said.

Lloyds Banking Group said that staff working at these branches would be offered roles at other branches or in another part of the business.

It added that all locations have alternative options for accessing cash nearby, such as a Post Office or free to use ATM.

A spokesperson said at the time: ‘Mobile banking is more popular than ever, with over 19.5 million customers choosing our app to manage, maximise and understand more about their money.

‘Alongside our app, customers can bank online, over the phone, at a Banking Hub, a Post Office or by speaking to one of our Community Bankers.’

It is the latest in a long line of bank departures from Britain’s high streets, which have seen thousands of branches shut up shop in recent years.

Bosses have claimed that fewer people are using in-person services at branches, with the pivot to online banking, particularly among younger customers, the main reason.

Other big name banks, including Barclays, NatWest, TSB and Santander have also slashed their branch numbers.

Earlier this year it was revealed that the number of branches that have closed their doors in the last nine years has surged past 6,000.

A survey by consumer group Which? found that more than 60 per cent of the UK’s branch network has closed since it began tracking the phenomenon in 2015.

It suggested that by the end of 2024 33 parliamentary constituencies won’t have a single bank branch.

While the rate of closures had initially appeared to slow down since it reached a peak in 2017, researchers said in May that in ‘recent years there has been a troubling surge’.

Bank bosses have been accused of ‘engaging in a race to close branches’ after the Government announced plans in 2020 for laws to protect access to cash, which could make it harder to close a branch if alternative cash provision is lacking.

Since 2015 Barclays has closed 1,216 branches; while NatWest Group, which comprises NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland and Ulster Bank, has closed 1,360 branches, Which? said.

At the time Lloyds Banking Group, had shut 1,146 sites, but this number is set to rise further following its September announcement.

A spokesperson for trade association UK Finance said at the time: ‘An ever-increasing number of people are using telephone, mobile and internet banking and fewer people are visiting bank branches on a regular basis.

‘Balancing this change in the way we bank means firms have to make difficult decisions about maintaining their branches.

‘The industry has invested heavily in alternative services, including thousands of post offices where people can do a lot of their day-to-day banking.

‘Alongside this, the industry is working to roll out shared banking hubs to bring together different firms to support their customers.

‘There is also significant ongoing investment to ensure access to cash, including free ATMs and cashback without purchase. If you are concerned about your local bank branch closing, please contact them and they will help you find the best alternative for your needs.’

However with the decline of banks has come record-breaking figures for the Post Office who handled record amount of cash this year. 

With the shuttering of thousands of banks in recent years, many have been forced to head to the Post Office to access some face-to-face services. 

The haemorrhaging of banks, which has an average rate of 50 closures a month, has showed no sign of slowing down any soon, with the Post Office breaking cash handling records. 

In July customers deposited or withdrew more than £2.7 billion, which beats previous record highs set in May, April and December. 

Around 10 million visits are made to the Post Office each week in the UK, and many of them are using it as a local alternative due to real bank branches disappearing.