"Santander is closing a further 44 branches, putting 291 jobs at risk. It is the latest swathe of closures by the Spanish-owned bank which, like others on the high street, is closing bricks-and-mortar stores as customers move online. Last year, it announced plans to close 95, or a quarter, of its branches which had 750 workers. Lloyds Bank is also planning to shut more than 100 branches by March under a scheme of closures announced last year."
"With several banks choosing to close branches across the UK, concerns have been raised about "banking deserts", with parts of Yorkshire leaving people without a bank for 10 miles. A solution, in the form of so-called "banking hubs", has also been slow to roll out. Funded by the major high street banks and created by not-for-profit organisation Cash Access UK, they are run by local Post Office managers and customers from multiple banks can use them."
"It added that wherever a store is closing, a Santander representative will operate from a nearby banking hub or Santander Local - locations in libraries and community centres where customers can seek help one day each week. "We will continue to invest in both our branch network - comprising of full-service branches, counter-free branches, reduced-hour branches, Santander Locals, and our increasingly popular work cafes"
Santander is closing 44 more branches, putting 291 jobs at risk and following plans last year to close 95 branches affecting 750 workers. The bank reports 96% of transactions are now digital and will offer Santander representatives at nearby banking hubs or Santander Locals in libraries and community centres one day per week when branches close. Santander states it will continue investing in a mix of full-service, counter-free and reduced-hour branches, Santander Locals, work cafes, and digital services. Wider branch closures across the UK have raised concerns about banking deserts, while Cash Access UK banking hubs have been slow to roll out.
Read at www.bbc.com
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