Bank is to withdraw
Troon and Cumnock to close
Clydesdale Bank branches in Ayrshire are set to be axed as the banking giant cuts a third of its network.
Branches in Troon and Cumnock will close later this year, with bosses blaming the closures on a move towards phone and online banking by customers.
More than 400 jobs will be lost when 79 Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank branches are closed for good.
Rob Ma c G re g o r, national officer for Unite the Union, said: “The closure of a third of the bank’s branches will not only be concerning for staff but the local communities which will see their bank branch close.
“This cost cutting plan leaves customers with less choice for local banking.
“The union has called on the bank to give a commitment to mitigate compulsory redundancies where possible and that they will reconsider closing any bank branches that are the last bank in a town.”
S o u t h S c o t l a n d MSP Colin Smy t h said the closures were a “bombshell” f o r communities, and has launched a petition to keep local banking in Ayrshire communities.
T h e L a b o u r representative said: “It’s a major blow to the bank’s customers and will be devastating for those who will lose their job and my thoughts are very much with them and their families.
“There are now just three Clydesdale Banks in Ayrshire - Kilmarnock, Irvine and Ayr - so it is unrealistic for the company to claim they will be able to find staff jobs elsewhere.”
The decision to close the Troon branch is believed to have come as little surprise, with the lease on the building close to expiring.
Similar circumstances saw the Prestwick branch close last year, with customers transferred to Ayr as is expected to be the case with Troon.
Clydesdale’s customer banking director Gavin Opperman said: “While the decision to close any branch is never an easy one, it is important that we, in line with other banks operating in the UK market, continue to respond to changes in the way customers want to bank with us.”