NatWest to Shut 53 UK Branches in 2025 Amid Digital Shift
NatWest is set to slam the shutters on 53 more branches across the UK in 2025. The move reflects a sharp rise in customers bankrolling online, with more than 80% of NatWest’s current account holders now going digital.
Mass Closures Continue: Hundreds Gone Since 2015
This latest wave follows a brutal couple of years:
- 48 branches closed in 2024
- About 20 shut in 2023
- A whopping 1,409 closures since 2015
NatWest isn’t alone. Across the UK, banks and building societies have axed over 6,000 branches in response to customers switching to online banking.
New Investments to Modernise and Greenify Network
Despite the cuts, NatWest is pumping £20 million into its UK network in 2025. Plans aim to boost customer service and slash the environmental footprint of its buildings.
The bank is also expanding alternatives like Post Office partnerships and Banking Hubs, targeting those without easy branch access.
Full List of Branch Closures for 2025
Here are the NatWest branches closing next year (dates included):
- Accrington – June 5
- Alfreton – June 2
- Beverley – June 25
- Bishop Auckland – April 29
- Blackburn, Audley, Copy Nook – May 12
- Bridlington – June 11
- Cannock – May 12
- Cleveleys – April 28
- Derby, Allenton – May 13
- Dewsbury – April 28
- Ellesmere Port – June 4
- Failsworth, Hollinwood, Oldham Road – May 7
- Farnworth – May 15
- Garstang – June 26
- Goole – May 14
- Keighley – June 16
- Leeds, Chapel Allerton, Harrogate Road – April 30
- Leeds, Cross Gates – June 10
- Leek – June 16
- Leyland, Golden Hill, Chapel Brow – May 15
- Liverpool, Walton Vale – May 14
- Long Eaton – May 29
- Louth – May 28
- Manchester – June 11
- Mansfield – June 26
- Market Drayton – Date TBC
- Mexborough – June 3
- Middleton – April 30
- Morley – May 8
- Nantwich – June 19
- Newark-on-Trent – June 17
- Newcastle upon Tyne, West Denton – May 1
- Nottingham, Sherwood, Hucknall Road – May 21
- Nottingham, West Bridgford – June 24
- Rawtenstall – May 29
- Rochdale – June 10
- Salford, Trafford Park, Third Avenue – May 20
- Sheffield, Ecclesall Road – May 7
- St Annes On Sea – June 24
- Stafford – June 25
- Stockport, Hazel Grove – June 19
- Stockport, Heaton Moor – June 3
- Stockton-on-Tees – June 4
- Stoke-on-Trent, Longton – June 5
- Urmston – May 13
- Uttoxeter – June 2
- Wallasey – May 21
- Washington – June 17
- Widnes – May 8
- Willerby – April 29
- Wilmslow – May 20
- Windermere – May 1
- Worksop – June 18
Local Outcry Over “Banking Deserts”
The closures have sparked fury in small towns and rural areas. Many fear the loss of branches will hit the elderly and those less comfortable with tech the hardest.
“Our customers are using digital banking more than ever before – over 80% of our active current account holders now use our digital services,” said a NatWest spokesperson. “We are also significantly investing in refreshing our network to meet customers’ evolving needs and expectations.”
But the harsh reality is clear: NatWest’s branch cuts fuel the decline of traditional high streets. For some, the digital future feels more like a dead end.
