Lloyds bank closures: List of all 6 Edinburgh and Lothian Bank of Scotland branches to shut

Lloyds Banking Group is to close 56 branches across the UK.

The company said the closures are part of a store reduction programme in response to changing customer behaviour and the move towards online banking.

A total of four banks in Edinburgh and two in the Lothians will close as a result of the Lloyds Banking Group closures.

The banking giant has confirmed plans to shut 31 Lloyds, 10 Halifax and 15 Bank of Scotland branches between April and October 2020.

It has emerged that four Edinburgh Bank of Scotland branches - Dalry Road, Greenside, Liberton and Tollcross - as well as one each in Livingston and Loanhead will shut.

Changing customer behaviour

The company said the closures are part of a store reduction programme in response to changing customer behaviour and the move towards online banking.

Banking union Accord said the move is expected to see staff numbers cut by "under 80" as many employees are to be redeployed in other branches.

A Lloyds Banking Group spokeswoman said: "We are committed to having the largest branch network in the UK and, in addition to our branches, all our customers can also use the Post Office to access their banking locally, alongside our mobile branches which visit many rural communities.

"We have confirmed that a number of branches will close between April and October this year.

"This is in response to changing customer behaviours and the reduced number of transactions being made in branches."

It comes as the bank continues its closure programme which affected Lloyds and Halifax sites in 2019.

In a statement, Accord said: "We fully appreciate that the demand for high street branch banking is diminishing as customers increasingly move to app-based banking but we'll be examining Lloyds Banking Group's plans to ensure that they're properly thought through and robustly evidenced.

"So far, all branch closures have been managed without compulsory redundancies and Accord expects the same outcome here.

"We'll be contacting our members who are impacted by the closures to offer support and representation."

Reaction

Following the announcement of closures across Scotland, Brian Sloan, Age Scotland Chief Executive, said: "We’re very sad to see Lloyds follow other banks and put profits ahead of its loyal customers, especially those who are older, disabled or don’t have internet access.

"There’s no doubt this will make it harder for tens of thousands of people to access their cash and manage their money on a daily basis. This is part of a slow, relentless march, pushing customers online whether they like it or not, and leading to banking deserts across Scotland.

"We know older people are more likely to rely on physical branches and prefer a face-to-face service. Seven in 10 over-65s don’t use digital banking at all, and more than half of Scottish people aged 80 and above never use the internet.

"We know banking is changing, but have urged banks to consider creative alternatives instead of leaving vulnerable customers behind. One option could be shared branches, with several banks splitting the costs between them and offering additional services, advice and support."