Lloyds to close 11 Bank of Scotland branches

The UK-wide cuts will result in 99 job losses spread over the Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Lloyds brands, the lender said.

A total of 11 branches located in both urban and rural Scotland will close in response to what Lloyds said was changing customer behaviour and the declining number of transactions being made in branches.

The Scottish branches affected, which all operate under the Bank of Scotland brand, are: Alva; Bridge of Allan; Carnoustie; Dalmuir; Denny; Edinburgh Piershill; Giffnock; Glasgow Scotstoun; Lochgelly; Prestwick; and Stirling Munro Road.

The union Unite, which has condemned the closures as “unnecessary” and ill-founded, said the bank has informed affected staff.

Earlier this year Lloyds announced that it would close 100 branches between July and October this year.

The bank said the latest closures were the result of fewer branch transactions as customers increasingly choose digital and mobile channels for their everyday banking needs.

A Lloyds Banking Group spokesman said: “As a consequence the number of customers visiting some of our branches has declined in recent year. In response we have confirmed the location of some branches which will close next year.”

He added that even after these closures, the group expects to have the biggest branch network in the UK.

“Around 95 per cent of Lloyds Bank customers and 90 per cent of Halifax and Bank of Scotland customers will have still have a usable branch within five miles of their home, after these changes have been made.”

Unite national officer Rob MacGregor urged Lloyds to halt this closure programme. “Local communities are making it clear that these closure of their local branch excludes customers who cannot use digital means to conduct their financial transactions.”

They also called for the bank to ensure that there were no compulsory redundancies as a result of these cuts. Macgregor adds that having returned to profitability Lloyds Bank need to focus more on its corporate social responsibilities.

Lloyds Banking Group adds that it now has 30 mobile branches serving over 170 communities across Scotland, England and Wales.

The banking group, which was bailed out at the height of the financial crisis at a cost of £20 billion to the UK taxpayer, last month disclosed a hefty rise in third-quarter profits shortly after finally being returned to full private ownership.

The company saw pre-tax profits more than double to £1.95 billion.