The Shaftesbury branch is one of two Dorset branches set to close Picture: Google

Shaftesbury Santander branch one of 95 to close: Full list

Tait ap EllisMarch 19, 20250 Comment0

THE Santander branch in Shaftesbury will close later this year, the bank has confirmed.

This comes after Santander announced it is set to close 95 branches across the UK, putting 750 jobs at risk.

The bank said these closures are needed due to an increasing number of people switching to online banking rather than in-person.

The Shaftesbury branch, found on the High Street, will close on Wednesday, July 23.

The Wimborne Minster branch will close on Monday, August 4.

Santander says all locations where branches will close will be covered by new Santander community bankers providing face-to-face money management and general support for customers, visiting local communities weekly, as well as attending banking hubs.

The bank has seen a rapid movement of customers choosing to do their banking digitally, with a 63% increase in digital transactions since 2019, while financial transactions completed in branches reduced by 61% in the same period.

A spokesperson for Santander UK said: “As customer behaviour changes, we are ensuring that our branches remain fit for the future.

“Our new combination of full-service branches, alongside work cafés, counter-free branches and reduced hours branches, aims to provide the right balance between digital banking and face-to-face money management and guidance.

“As a business, we must move with customers and balance our investment across all the places where we interact with customers, to deliver the very best for them now and in the future.

“Closing a branch is always a very difficult decision and we spend a great deal of time assessing where and when we do this and how to minimise the impact it may have on our customers.

“However, we believe that the introduction of our new community bankers and the exciting plans we have for our remaining network of 349 branches and work cafés, alongside the rapid and innovative improvements to our award-winning mobile banking app, will provide the right balance of digital banking and human interaction when required.”

Full list of branches set to close: