RBS to close 54 branches resulting in 258 job loses

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which is 62% taxpayer-owned after its 2008 bailout, has announced 603 branch closures since March 2017. RBS previously blamed the move from mobile and online banking for closures.

This decision follows plans announced in May to close 62 branches across England and Wales, with the loss of around 792 jobs.

RBS said that the latest closures were linked to its decision not to sell its Williams & Glyn business.

A spokesman at RBS said: “As we are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other in England and Wales – NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland.

“As a result we have reviewed our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and have made the difficult decision to close 54 Royal Bank of Scotland branches. Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland in England and Wales will be able to use NatWest branches and local post offices for their everyday banking needs.”

Rob MacGregor, of union Unite, said: “This announcement heaps further misery on communities across England and Wales that have already seen the demise of local banking services as branches that were signposted by the bank earlier in 2018 as an alternative for customers whose branches were closing, now suffering a similar fate.”

Locations of the latest RBS branch closures are:

• Kensington High Street
• Enfield
• Watford
• Kingston Upon Thames
• London Notting Hill Gate
• Eastbourne
• Wolverhampton
• Swansea
• Belper
• Cardiff Roath
• Prestatyn
• Basildon
• Ipswich
• Bournemouth
• Congleton
• Swallownest
• Matlock
• Ashbourne
• Darlington
• Chapel-en-le-Frith
• Pemberton
• Leigh
• Manchester Droylsden
• Bamber Bridge
• Dronfield
• Hindley
• Radcliffe
• Buxton High Street
• Bolton Harwood
• Poulton-le-Fylde
• Altrincham
• Formby
• Sheffield Ecclesfield
• Romiley
• Shaw
• South Elmsall
• Fleetwood
• Atherton
• Marple
• Hazel Grove
• Prescot
• Standish
• Partington
• Burscough Bridge
• Kirkham
• Ramsbottom
• Hathersage
• Parbold
• Adlington
• Maghull
• Croston
• Disley