Location of 250th banking hub announced as Santander confirms closures

Link announced recommendations for four new banking hubs as part of its work to help fill gaps in cash access.

Banking hubs are making a significant difference and helping communities, Link said (Vicky Shaw/PA) (PA Archive)

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Four new banking hubs have been confirmed by cash access body Link, taking the total number it has recommended to 250.

The announcement was made as Santander said it would shut 44 of its bank branches – and the newly-announced banking hubs will open in four locations where Santander has announced closures.

Link said its 250th banking hub recommendation is in Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire.

The three other hubs newly-recommended are in Ormskirk in Lancashire, Wilmslow in Cheshire and Whitehaven in Cumbria.

Santander has said it plans to close branches in these locations by the end of January 2027.

Banking hubs have helped to plug gaps in cash access as there have been waves of bank branch closures.

They are a shared banking space, where customers of different banks can do their banking in a single place.

The hubs will consist of a counter service where customers of any bank can withdraw and deposit cash, make bill payments and carry out regular banking transactions.

There will also be spaces where customers can speak to community bankers from their own bank. Staff from different banks will be available on different days.

In December, Cash Access UK opened the 200th banking hub open in Billericay in Essex, and there are now 210 hubs across the UK.

John Howells, Link chief executive, said: “Almost five years ago, the first two banking hubs opened as part of a pilot to see how we could better protect access to cash.