LLOYDS Banking Group will close 56 branches across the UK, this year.
The banking giant will shut 31 Lloyds, 10 Halifax and 15 Bank of Scotland branches between April and October 2020.
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Lloyds says the closures are part of a store reduction programme set up in reaction to a consumer shift towards online banking.
Banking union Accord staff numbers are expected to be cut by “under 80” as many employees will be moved to other branches.
A Lloyds Banking Group spokeswoman said: “We have confirmed that a number of branches will close between April and October this year.
“This is in response to changing customer behaviours and the reduced number of transactions being made in branches.”
“In addition to our branches, all our customers can also use the Post Office to access their banking locally, alongside our mobile branches which visit many rural communities.”
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It comes as the bank continues its closure programme which affected Lloyds and Halifax sites in 2019.
Accord said: “We’ll be examining Lloyds Banking Group’s plans to ensure that they’re properly thought through and robustly evidenced.
“So far, all branch closures have been managed without compulsory redundancies and Accord expects the same outcome here.
“We’ll be contacting our members who are impacted by the closures to offer support and representation.”
Although Accord is optimistic for Lloyds employees, there are concerns about how Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland customers will cope with fewer branches.
Jenny Ross, Which? Money Editor, said: “The loss of yet more branches to an already devastated network will hit communities across the UK hard.
“If the industry wants to encourage people online then banks must demonstrate that their systems are up to scratch by drastically reducing the number of IT outages that customers endure – and also by equipping them with the skills needed to benefit from digital services.
“The government should urgently intervene with legislation that protects access to cash as a vital backup and for as long as it is needed.”
Which? research found that two-thirds of people would find life difficult without convenient access to a branch.
It also showed that 11 million people lack the confidence to carry out basic banking tasks online.
The Sun has contacted Lloyds to find out which branches are closing and we will update this story once we know more.
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