Diss set to lose its Lloyds and Halifax branches amidst nationwide closures

A town is set to lose two banks next year after the controlling group announced a raft of closures.

Lloyds and Halifax premises in Diss, in Market Hill and Market Place respectively, will close on March 20, 2024 amid the ongoing shift away from High Street Banking.

Forty-five branches across the country will be shut in total – 22 Halifax branches, 19 Lloyds branches and four Bank of Scotland branches.

Halifax is a division of Bank of Scotland, which in itself is owned by Lloyds Banking Group.

A Lloyds Banking Group spokesman said: “The way customers choose to bank with us has changed rapidly in recent years, and we now offer a wide range of options for their everyday banking needs.

“This includes our mobile app, online and over the phone.

“Customers can also bank with us through the Post Office, in a Banking Hub, or by speaking to a community banker.”

Figures showed that the Lloyds branch only had a regular monthly usage of 210 customers, whilst for the Halifax branch it was 118.

At Halifax the age group with the most personal customers was 55 to 74, which accounted for 39 per cent, with 18 to 34-year-olds only accounting for 12 per cent.

Lloyds reflected this pattern, albeit with 42% of personal customers using the branch being aged 55 to 74, whilst it was only 11 per cent for 18 to 34-year-olds.

Lloyds has directed customers to its King Street, Thetford or Market Place, Wymondham branches, with Halifax similarly directing customers to King Street as well as Cornhill in Bury St Edmunds.