Dozens of banks have closed in Blackburn, Darwen and Burnley since 2015

Analysis from consumer champion Which? has shown a sharp decline in the number of bank branches open in areas across much of the UK compared to seven years ago.

According to figures up to the end of April, five banks have been shuttered in Blackburn since the start of 2015, leaving eight remaining in the area.

The Yorkshire Bank in Blackburn, which had been acquired by Virgin Money last year, closed its doors in January, with the nearest branch now being in Preston.

There remains a Santander, Nationwide, HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, NatWest, Halifax, and Yorkshire Building Society in the town.

Meanwhile, more than two in five banks in Burnley have closed, with six banks shutting in the town since the start of 2015, leaving eight remaining in the area.

Barclays and Lloyds in Blackburn

And nearly two-thirds of banks in Rossendale and Darwen have closed since 2015.

According to the data, nine banks have been shuttered in Rossendale and Darwen since the start of 2015, leaving just five remaining in the area.

There are now no banks open in Darwen at all, after Santander closed in 2021, and the last remaining bank, Lloyds, closed in the town in February. 

Separate figures from LINK, a cash machine network, show there has also been a decline in the number of free-to-use ATMs across the UK in recent years.

Their data shows between the start of 2018 and early March this year, the number of ATMs in Blackburn dropped from 104 to 82, while in Burnley they dropped from 102 to 77, and in Rossendale and Darwen the number dropped from 52 to 34.

The increasing use of online banking and contactless payments have led to concerns some will be left behind, or unable to access key services.

Which? chief executive, Anabel Hoult, said: “While the pandemic has accelerated the move to digital payments for many consumers, many are not yet ready to make that switch and require protection from an avalanche of ATM and bank branch closures that have left the UK’s cash system at risk of collapse.”

A bill to protect access to cash was announced as part of the Queen’s Speech in May.

The Treasury says the new legislation will ensure “continued access to withdrawal and deposit facilities across the UK”.

Economic secretary to the Treasury, John Glen, said: “We know access to cash is still vital for many people, especially those in vulnerable groups.

“We promised we would protect it, and through this bill we are delivering on that promise.”

Full details on what will be included are yet to be published.

Which? welcomed the bill but said it “must ensure clear requirements are placed on industry to meet communities’ need for cash”.

Its data found nearly half (48 per cent) of bank branches across the UK have closed since the start of 2015, and seven constituencies have seen every one of their bank branches closed in recent years.

And LINK says more than 13,500 free-to-use ATMs have been cut from the UK’s network – a quarter of the 54,500 in operation at the start of 2018.

Recent research by the Royal Society of Arts estimates 10 million people in the UK would struggle in a cashless society.

The research suggests the elderly and those in areas with poor mobile or broadband connectivity have suffered most in the move to digital banking.

RSA researcher Mark Hall said: “For millions of people, their relationship with cash is critical to the way they manage their weekly budget.

“It’s vital that the dash to digital doesn’t disenfranchise anyone, especially with the cost-of-living crisis putting such significant strain on family finances right now.”