Five more bank branches are to depart Kent’s high streets this autumn.
Bosses have announced a fresh wave of closures, with 31 Lloyds Bank sites and 48 Halifax branches to shut across the UK.
Canterbury’s Halifax branch in St George’s Street is to shut. Picture: Google
Four of the Halifax sites are in Kent, including the one in St George’s Street, Canterbury, which will shut on September 28.
Ashford’s Castle Street branch will then shut on October 13, followed by Ramsgate’s Queen Street site on October 26, and the Halifax in Windmill Street, Gravesend, on October 28.
Chatham’s Lloyds will close on October 5.
A spokesperson for Lloyds Banking Group, which owns Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland, said: “With access to one of the biggest branch networks in the UK, alongside local banking options like our Community Bankers, the Post Office, PayPoint, plus our leading apps and 24/7 messaging service, we offer our customers more choice and convenience than ever before.”
The latest closures come after Lloyds Banking Group announced it would shut 95 branches in February.
Ashford’s Halifax branch in Castle Street is to shut
Along with the five branches closing in the autumn, Lloyds Bank in Sevenoaks High Street will also shut its doors this Thursday (June 18).
If all the planned closures go ahead, Lloyds Banking Group would be left with 531 branches across the UK.
Last month, reports circulated the banking giants could phase out Halifax in a move which could bring an end to the 173-year-old brand.
It is understood no decisions have been made about its future.
But, if it were to be phased out, there would be no change to customers’ account numbers, or the protection they automatically have under the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) if banks fail.
Lloyds Bank’s branch in Chatham High Street is to shut. Picture: Google
By October, Halifax will stop taking on new customers entirely and existing account holders will be gradually migrated to Lloyds Bank, reports say.
