Tag: branch closures

Gordon Macdonald MSP raises serious concerns over Bank of Scotland closure in Wester Hailes

Gordon Macdonald SNP MSP has raised serious concerns regarding the upcoming closure of the Bank of Scotland branch in Wester Hailes, warning of the impact of this decision on members of the community who rely on these services.

Lloyds Banking Group have announced that they are closing their Wester Hailes branch on 27 May 2025. This branch provides a crucial service to local residents and its closure risks harming those in the local community who rely on face-to-face banking services.  

Gordon Macdonald MSP is therefore seeking a meeting with Lloyds Banking Group to discuss the potential impacts of their decision and to obtain further details regarding support for those most affected.

Commenting, Gordon Macdonald said: “This news will be very worrying for those who rely on the Bank of Scotland branch services at the Westside Plaza Shopping Centre in Wester Hailes.

“I am deeply concerned about the potential impact of this closure on members of the community who rely on these services particularly with the Post Office Branch in Wester Hailes also under review which would leave local customers with no means of face to face banking services.

“I am urgently seeking a meeting with the Bank of Scotland to understand the impact of this decision on my constituents, and my office is on hand to support constituents if needed.”

The locations affected:

·       Alexandria (Banking Hub and Enhanced Deposit service to be introduced)

·       Annan (Banking Hub to be introduced)

·       Barrhead

·       Bishopbriggs (Banking Hub to be introduced)

·       Edinburgh Corstorphine West (Enhanced Deposit service to be introduced)

·       Edinburgh Wester Hailes

·       Helensburgh (Banking Hub to be introduced)

·       Kirkintilloch (Community Banker service to be introduced)

·       Moffat (Community Banker service to be introduced)

·       Peebles (Community Banker service to be introduced)

·       Pitlochry (Community Banker service to be introduced)

·       Sanquhar (Community Banker service to be introduced)

·       Thornhill (Enhanced Deposit service and Community Banker service to be introduced)

·       Uddingston

Another branch bites the dust

Granton Square … Goldenacre … Davidsons Mains, no more. And another Royal Bank of Scotland branch will join the Lost List when Stockbridge Branch closes it’s doors for the last time on 4th October.

In a letter to RBS customers, Local Director Mark Scanlon explained: “Closing branches is always a difficult decision and not one that we ever take lightly. So, we wanted to try to explain why we’ve had to do this.

“The simple reason is that the way businesses bank with us has changed. The shift towards digital means many of our customers now manage their money online. With fewer people going into branch, we’ve had to make some really tough choices. Which is unfortunately why we will be closing our Edinburgh Stockbridge branch on 4 October 2022.

“You can, of course, use any other Royal Bank of Scotland branch. And you can manage your money online through our Digital Banking service or via Bankline without having to go into a branch, To find out more go to: business.rbs.co.uk/ways-to-bank .”

So that’s okay then !

Semichem to close up to 22 stores

  • 140 staff enter consultation process
  • Corstorphine and Wester Hailes stores set to close

Health and household goods retailer Semichem is consulting on the closure of up to 22 stores across Scotland, Northern Ireland and the North East of England. Edinburgh Semichem stores at Corstorphine and Wester Hailes are among those earmarked for closure.

Stores in Musselburgh and Dalkeith also face closure.

The closures have been prompted by ongoing challenges to high street trading, which have been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The business, which is owned by community retailer Scotmid Co-operative, is in talks with landlords in several locations and will make a final decision on a small number of the 22 stores in the coming months.

A total of 140 Semichem staff have now entered a formal consultation process. Management at Scotmid are exploring opportunities to redeploy as many as possible within its wider business.

Karen Scott, Head of Semichem, said: “The high street was already struggling to adapt to the pace of change in shopping habits, including out-of-town developments and the rise of internet shopping.

“That change has undoubtedly been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sadly, we have reached the point where it is no longer viable to keep some of our stores open.

“We are grateful for both Scotmid and subsequent government support, which has undoubtedly prolonged the life of many stores.

“Our priority now is to support affected colleagues at this difficult time. We are already looking for redeployment opportunities within the Scotmid group and will help all our staff both personally and professionally.”

Semichem was founded in 1980 and became part of Scotmid Co-operative in 1995. It currently operates 86 stores in shopping centres and on high streets across Northern Ireland, Scotland and the North East of England. Over the last three years, Semichem has invested £2.2 million in refitting stores and trialling a range of new retail concepts.

Karen Scott added: “The remaining stores in our Semichem portfolio are trading satisfactorily given the current circumstances.

“Like many other retailers, we are hopeful that, as restrictions ease, footfall will return to our high streets. I am also pleased to say that our investment programme will resume in the summer.”

The cost of cash

The UK’s banks have made hundreds of millions of pounds from cash machine cuts and bank branch closures in the last two years, while fees paid by consumers to access their own cash have soared, research from Which? has revealed.

New figures obtained by the consumer champion show the amount paid by consumers to withdraw cash jumped by £29m to £104m last year – as many free machines vanished or were converted to charge fees.

In contrast, this seismic shift in the cashpoint network has saved the banks £120m since January 2018, according to the new figures from Link, which runs the UK’s largest cashpoint network.

More than 8,700 free ATMs have closed since changes to how the Link cashpoint network is funded were pushed through with no regulatory oversight in January 2018, following lobbying by the banks.

Between 2018 and 2019 the percentage of fee-charging machines jumped by 37 per cent (from 11,120 to 15,277) and they now comprise a quarter (25%) of the entire network of 60,291 machines  – leaving countless communities having to pay up to £2 just to withdraw their money.

These changes have seen the number of times people have had to pay to withdraw cash increase from 46m in 2018 to 73m in 2019 – a rise of 59 per cent in a single year.

The banks are also saving vast sums through branch closures – with 1,203 having closed since January 2018 alone. These ongoing closures have drastically reduced people’s ability to access free withdrawals across the UK.

Which? first raised the alarm in December 2017 that incoming cuts to the way cashpoints are funded would lead to a rapid reduction in access to free withdrawals across the country.

And two years on these new figures show the sheer mismanagement of the cash landscape, which is seeing people cut off from cash – or forced to pay significant fees to access it.

Which? previously revealed that deprived areas are losing free cash machines at a much faster rate than affluent ones across the UK – hitting those who can afford it the least.

Digital banking and payments have brought many benefits to consumers in the UK, but it’s crucial that the transition is better managed to ensure all those still reliant on cash aren’t forced to pay just to access it.

Which? is calling on the government to intervene with legislation that protects free access to cash for as long as it is needed.

Gareth Shaw, Head of Money, Which?, said: “Massive cuts to the UK’s bank branch and cash machine networks have been highly lucrative for the big banks – but highly costly for millions of consumers. Entire communities have been cut off from cash or forced to pay hefty fees to access their own money.

“Banks must take greater responsibility for ensuring customers are supported to make the transition to digital if branches close and that those who are reliant on cash are not left behind by changes to the banking landscape.

“The Budget is a major opportunity for the government to introduce much-needed legislation that protects access to cash and free withdrawals for as long as this vital payment method is needed.”

Rapid changes to cash landscape risk leaving millions behind, says Which?

Which? is calling on the Government to appoint a regulator to protect access to cash, as a combination of bank branch and cashpoint closures risks leaving people struggling to pay for essential goods and services. Continue reading Rapid changes to cash landscape risk leaving millions behind, says Which?

Politicians urge Santander branch closures rethink

Santander bank has confirmed that it is to close 140 branches across the UK. Three branches in Lothian are to close: Morningside Road and Leith Walk in Edinburgh and George Street in Bathgate. Continue reading Politicians urge Santander branch closures rethink

Scottish Affairs Committee to quiz RBS chief on branch closures

The Scottish Affairs Committee will take evidence from Ross McEwan, CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland on Tuesday (8 May). The session will examine the reasons behind the decision to close 62 branches of RBS in Scotland, subsequent temporary reprieve for ten branches, and the long term future of local banking in Scotland. The Committee will also hear from the Lending Standards Board, the self-regulatory body for the financial services sector. Continue reading Scottish Affairs Committee to quiz RBS chief on branch closures