More than 6,000 UK banks closed in less than a decade as worst hit area revealed

A survey by consumer choice site Which? found the worst hit area in the UK effectively sees each of its residents in the county sharing their branch with 22,557 other people

More than 6,000 bank branches have closed across in the past nine years, new figures show.

Which? found 6,161 have been shuttered since 2015, which represents nearly two thirds - 62% - of the entire network. Its research showed Yorkshire and the Humber is worst hit - with the fewest number of branches to population.

The area has just 248 to serve a 5.6 million people, that is to 4.4 branches per 100,000. This means every Yorkshire resident is sharing their branch with 22,557 others.

In January 2015, Yorkshire and the Humber had 728 open branches, equivalent to 13 branches per 100,000 people. Since then two thirds of the number of branches, 480, have closed.

Scotland has the ‘best’ access to branches, at 6.9 per 100,000 people, but its population is spread unevenly across the country and those living in more rural areas still face long journeys to use a bank. Faring slightly better is the West Midlands region, with six branches per 100,000 people. The East Midlands region, however, has the second worst access to banks per population, with just 4.6 branches per 100,000 people.

Across the UK, there are 30 parliamentary constituencies - totalling just over three million people - without a single bank branch. These include Bradford South, Liverpool Wavertree and Manchester Rusholme.

Meanwhile another 56 are left with only one branch remaining. Which? say the impact on local communities following bank branch closures can be “devastating”.

Some of the most vulnerable members of society, such as those living with disabilities or on lower incomes, are reliant on branches and either unable or unwilling to make the switch to banking digitally. Last week, new rules, overseen by the financial regulator the Financial Conduct Authority, came into effect.

These rules mean that banks will need to give greater consideration to a local community’s cash needs before deciding to close a branch. The watchdog will require firms to check whether additional services would be needed should a branch shut its doors or an ATM be switched off - and keep facilities open until the additional cash services are available.

Sam Richardson, deputy editor of Which? Money, said: “Bank branch closures can have severe impacts on local communities including on those who still want to use 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.”