Banking giant to close office, affecting 500 staff

Lloyds Banking Group has announced plans to close its Liverpool office later this year, affecting about 500 members of staff.

While no redundancies are planned, about 100 employees who are currently based in the Speke office will be asked to relocate to Chester.

About 80 per cent of staff currently based in Speke will either continue to work remotely or will be asked to do so after the building closes.

Union officials condemned the plans as a "huge mistake" and voiced concerns about the impact on its members.

A Lloyds Banking Group spokesman said the cost-cutting move was part of plans to create "fewer [but] better-equipped, modern and sustainable offices to suit the future of our business".

He added: "As part of this, we are building hubs and communities in key locations across the UK to help deliver on our strategy."

The announcement comes amid a continued overhaul of operations at the banking giant as it seeks to trim costs.

In January 2024 the group announced plans to cut about 1,600 jobs from across its network of branches due to more people banking online.

At the time, Lloyds Banking Group - which also owns Halifax and Bank of Scotland - said its restructuring would also create 830 roles, leading to an overall net reduction of 769.

Earlier this month, the group confirmed that customers of Lloyds, Halifax and Bank of Scotland would be able to use any of the group's banks to access in-person services.

Regarding the plans to close the Speke office, Unite national officer Dominic Hook said: "The impact on the hundreds of staff and the region will be significant and is wholly unnecessary.

"The impact of the longer commute to Chester for colleagues is huge.

"While some workers in Speke do currently work from home, a substantial number still do need to travel into the centre for work.

"The refusal of Lloyds Banking Group to open an alternative Liverpool office is completely unjustified and damaging."

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram.