More local banks axed in new wave of branch closures

81 locations are being closed down across the UK

Author: Rob WallerPublished 31st Mar 2023

Even more of the remaining high street bank branches across Glasgow and the west will be shutting their doors in the latest round of closures.

Lloyds Group, which owns the Bank of Scotland, and NatWest Group, which controls Royal Bank of Scotland are announcing the 81 locations across the UK which are set to close.

It brings the total closures that have been announced so far this year to 213 as the firms say customers are continuing to move their business online.

Which banks will close?

Royal Bank of Scotland

Church Street, Johnstone on August 15

Bank of Scotland

Roman Road, Bearsden on July 25

Albert Drive, Pollokshields on July 27

Customers going online

The banks are cutting back on their branches simply because they are not being used like they used to be.

An increasingly large proportion of customers choose instead to bank from the comfort of their own homes, using their smartphones or computers to manage their money, rather than travelling to a branch and waiting in a queue.

But for those with less access to technology, often older people, the closure of local branches can present additional challenges - increasing the distance they need to travel to deal with cash.

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