Lloyds Bank to close in Mitcham - here’s how you can help us get a banking hub
Mitcham
At the end of September, we received the devastating news that Lloyds will be closing its Mitcham branch on 8th January 2026 - the final bank left in the town centre. This is desperately disappointing news for local people and businesses who rely on in-person banking.
It is incredibly unlikely that the decision will be reversed by Lloyds, so in its place we want to see a banking hub established in Mitcham – a shared space offering banking services from all major banks, open five days a week. Without it, residents will have to travel to Tooting to access their nearest full-service bank (which is the Barclays along the high street).
Having spoken with LINK, the organisation responsible for deciding where banking hubs are placed, we’ve been told that Mitcham fully qualifies in size and need. We are, in their words, a perfect fit – with 115 shops and 48,000 people living near the high street.
However, LINK has said that Mitcham does not qualify because our nearest bank, Barclays in Tooting, is less than 15 minutes away on the bus – they claim it is 14 minutes on the 270 route. That’s just one minute short of the time required to qualify for a banking hub. We believe this is unfair, and we are disputing the decision.
The deadline for our submission for a banking hub is Wednesday 22nd October. Therefore, we would like to make a plea for your help. If you would like to support our campaign to bring a banking hub to Mitcham, please support us in gathering real evidence about how long the journey actually takes:
Take the 270 bus from Mitcham Fair Green (Stop D) to Tooting Broadway Station (Stop H).
Record how long your journey takes.
Let us know the time of day you travelled, the journey length, and your name and email.
If you would like to record a short video showing your journey and explaining your experience, please do send that too – it will help us make a stronger case. We have made a video ourselves below if you would like to take a look. You can email your information to siobhain@mmlp.org.uk, call 020 8542 4835, or leave a message on the answering machine with your information.
Thank you very much to all residents who have called, emailed and even taken up the bus challenge in our bid to get a banking hub for Mitcham town centre. All your feedback will help us when making a case to LINK.
One minute shouldn’t cost Mitcham its banking hub. Let’s show LINK that Mitcham deserves a banking hub – and ensure our community keeps the banking services it depends on.