Banking hub proposed as Whitehaven Santander branch set to close

Link has recommended a community banking hub for Whitehaven after Santander confirmed its branch will close by the end of January 2027, and the local MP has launched a petition calling for a hub.

Link, the UK's cash access body, has recommended a community banking hub for Whitehaven, Cumbria. The recommendation comes after Santander confirmed its Whitehaven branch will close by the end of January 2027. Whitehaven and Workington MP Josh MacAlister has started a petition calling for a hub and has highlighted concerns about access to face-to-face banking services. Key points: - Link has recommended a shared banking hub for Whitehaven as one of four newly recommended hubs. - The article mentions Santander confirmed the Whitehaven branch will close by the end of January 2027 and noted that 96% of its transactions are now carried out digitally. - MP Josh MacAlister has launched a petition saying the closure risks cutting people off from essential face-to-face banking services. - There are about 210 banking hubs across the UK; hubs are shared spaces where staff from specific banks attend on different days, and Whitehaven would join locations such as Cockermouth and Maryport. Summary: The scheduled branch closure would leave Whitehaven without its remaining high street bank and has prompted calls for a nearby shared banking hub. Link's recommendation and the MP's petition are the immediate developments; Santander said where stores close, representatives will operate from nearby hubs or Santander Local sites one day each week.