Overview
- On Friday NatWest Group confirmed nine branches will close between 8 and 17 September 2026, naming sites in Arbroath, Biggar, Castle Douglas, Giffnock, Milngavie, Motherwell, Ashton Gate (Bristol), Llanelli and Port Talbot.
- The group pledged these will be the last closure announcements across its NatWest, RBS and Ulster Bank brands until at least 2029 and said the completed network will total 336 branches (249 NatWest, 62 RBS, 25 Ulster Bank).
- NatWest will invest £50 million over 2026–27 to modernise remaining branches and expand alternatives to high‑street sites, including more mobile branch stops, 235 Community Banking Hubs, its Post Office partnership and nearly 5,000 free‑to‑use ATMs.
- The bank cites that 95% of customers now use digital channels for routine banking and says it will continue face‑to‑face support for complex needs through Community Bankers, financial health checks (150,000+ sessions this year) and direct engagement with affected customers and staff.
- The announcement closes NatWest’s current wave of cuts after a decade of heavy consolidation — consumer group Which? counts as many as 1,553 closures since 2015 — and places the firm at the centre of a wider policy debate about access to in‑person banking as regulators review the impact.