Santander to close branches in the South this summer
95 are going in total across the country - putting 750 jobs at risk
Santander has revealed plans to close 95 bank branches this summer, including several in the South.
The changes, which will start to be enforced from June, put up to 750 jobs at risk.
The Bognor Regis branch will close on July 14th and the one in New Milton will shut its doors on July 28th.
Bosses say they're continuing to invest in their digital, chat and phone offerings instead.
The Spanish-owned bank will also cut hours across 36 sites, and switch 18 to be counter-free, including the branch in Eastleigh.
Santander said it will be left with 349 branches after the sweeping changes.
A Santander UK spokesman 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 cafes, counter-free branches and reduced hours branches, aims to provide the right balance between digital banking and face-to-face money management and guidance."
He added: "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."
Santander said that from June 30, the majority of the reduced-hours branches will be open just three days a week - either Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.30am to 3pm, or Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9.30am to 3pm and Saturdays from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
It will change 18 sites to being self-service counter-free branches from June 16, but stressed these branches will also be manned by staff to offer support.
The group will be recruiting 95 new community bankers in the locations where it is shutting branches and hopes to redeploy some of the affected workers into these jobs.
It comes after the firm shut 111 branches in 2021 - around a fifth of its network at the time - as part of a previous major network review.
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