Lloyds Banking Group has announced a further 95 branch closures across the UK, including its Wareham branch in Dorset, which is the last remaining bank in the town.
While the exact closure date for the Wareham branch was not given, it said the 53 Lloyds, 31 Halifax and 11 Bank of Scotland sites would shut, between May 2026 and March 2027.
The closure of the Wareham branch of Lloyds in South Street leaves only the Nationwide next door and the Post Office for face to face financial transactions in town
No business banking
The latest announcement is in addition to an ongoing closure programme by the bank which will see 49 sites shut by October 2026.
In Wareham, it will only leave the Nationwide Building Society and the Post Office for face to face financial transactions.
The Swanage branch of Lloyds Bank closed down in September 2022 – it too was the last bank left in the town – also leaving customers with the local choice of the Nationwide Building Society and the Post Office for in person transactions.
Business customers in and around Swanage could still use the Lloyds branch in Wareham to pay in cash and conduct other transactions, until now.
The closure may see an increase in the number of Purbeck businesses who won’t accept cash payments.
The nearest bank branches for Swanage and Wareham customers will now be in Poole and Bournemouth.
Lloyds in Swanage on the last day before the bank branch was closed down in September 2022
“Giving our customers the flexibility”
A spokesperson for Lloyds, the biggest banking group in the UK said:
“Customers want the freedom to bank in the way that works for them and we offer more choice and ways to manage money than ever before.
“From our leading apps and 24/7 messaging service to local banking options like our community bankers, PayPoint and access to all of our Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland branches, we’re giving our customers the flexibility to bank wherever and whenever they need us.”
When the last bank in Swanage closed, the town received a multi-bank cash deposit machine at the Co-op, but not a banking hub
No banking hub planned for Purbeck
In some areas of the UK, banking hubs have been set up in order to protect access to cash.
These are shared spaces operated by staff at different banks on different days, offering services including withdrawing and depositing cash and paying bills.
A number of new sites have opened, but at a slower rate than the closure of individual bank branches and none are planned for Purbeck.
In Swanage, after the closure of the last bank, a multi-bank cash deposit machine was installed at the Co-op supermarket which provides cash and a free cash deposit service for businesses, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The closure of the Wareham branch and others elsewhere, affects hundreds of jobs, however Lloyds said all the branch staff will be offered a role at another branch or in another part of the business.
Lloyds will only have 610 branches remaining across the UK once all the announced closures are complete.
Further information
- The history of Lloyds Bank
- More about banking hubs
