Branch closures slammed by MSP

The Leven branch closure came at the same time as the Cowdenbeath branch shutting and 259 closures across the UK - a decision described by Unite the Union as ‘morally bankrupt’. The bank recorded an £871 million profit in the third quarter of 2017.

Commenting in a debate in the Scottish Parliament, the Jenny Gilruth, said: "In my constituency the Leven branch shut its doors on October 3. There was no consultation. I found out about it and the replacement mobile banking service via email.

"The mobile bank now visits Leven three times a week. But the sum total of its opening hours is just a shocking four and a half hours.

All time slots fall within the hours of a normal working day. Two fall across the morning period. And one is over lunch. Additionally, these mobile banks are not accessible for wheelchair users."

Commenting on Friday, following the debate, the MSP for Glenrothes and Mid Fife said: "The Royal Bank of Scotland is 73% owned by the tax payer. It is outrageous that the Bank believe they can dispose of the communities they are meant to serve so callously. They have left Leven and other communities behind".

The Royal Bank of Scotland were unable to provide the MSP’s office with any footfall numbers for the three months prior to the branch closing - despite using footfall as an argument to support the closure.

The closure of the Cowdenbeath RBS branch was followed by the Bank of Scotland announcing that their Lochgelly branch was to close in February leaving the entire Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area with just BOS and TSB branches in Cowdenbeath.

MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath, Lesley Laird, has started a petition in a bid to try to make the BOS reconsider their closure plans for their Lochgelly branch highlighting the footfall at the Bank Street facility.

Both the Holyrood and Westminster Parliaments are set to continue to discuss the situation and its effects on communities.