RBS to cut branch numbers by 44 and close some “last banks in town”

Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has announced the closure of 44 branches across the UK, 14 of which are classed as the "last banks in town".

The bank had promised in its 2010 customer charter not to close any branch that was the last bank in a community.

RBS rebuffed suggestions that it had gone back on its pledge, saying: "Banking has changed significantly over the last few years as more and more of our customers are banking with us where and when it is convenient for them. As a result, there has been a 30% drop in branch transactions since 2010.

"Many branches classed as ‘Last Bank in Town’ are only open for a few hours a week and only see one or two customers per hour.

"We have to adapt to what our customers want, which is why we’re investing in a range of other ways our customers can bank with us, including online and telephone banking, our mobile app, and in any one of the Post Office’s 11,500 branches across the UK."

RBS currently has a total of around 2,000 branches, over 290 of which are RBS branded and around 1,390 of which are NatWest branded. The remaining 314 branches are due to split from RBS in 2015, forming a new bank called Williams & Glyn.

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A spokesperson for the bank said: "We retain a very large branch network. Branches remain a vital part of our banking service but the role of the branch has been changing to be the place our customers choose to go when they’re looking for advice with bigger life decisions, such as buying a home, or saving for retirement.

"When we close branches, we always make sure customers and communities will still have access to banking services either through the Post Office, ATMs left behind or from a mobile branch.

"In many cases, our customers will still be only a few miles away from the nearest branch. We also offer online, telephone and mobile banking 24/7 which has greater convenience and accessibility."

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