MSP’s concern over TSB closure

A Kinross-shire MSP has said impoverished residents and the elderly will suffer the most from the closure of a Kinross bank.

The TSB branch in the town’s High Street will be axed next year with 16 of the bank’s other Scottish outlets set for closure.

The Kinross bank is set to close in May 2020 with the region’s other TSB branches in Perth, Coupar Angus, Blairgowrie, Aberfeldy, Pitlochry and Crieff, many of which run on reduced hours, surviving the chop.

The Kinross staff are understood to have been offered voluntary redundancies and redeployment to other branches.

The writing appeared to be on the wall for the local outlet when, in July, its hours were reduced.

MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire Roseanna Cunningham, said:“There is absolutely no doubt that bank use by most people has been changing at an increasing rate and so, on one level, from the usage statistics quoted by the TSB, one can see why this decision was taken – fewer than 13,000 transactions in the last 12 months, as compared to an average of 34,000 and only six regular customers visiting them every week.

“However, the more they close smaller branches, the more likely it is that remaining small town branches will be less busy than the‘average’ and it is hardly surprising that branch usage should be so low when, since the end of July, customers will have found the doors locked six days of the week. My primary concern is for those particular customers who will be most inconvenienced by this closure, who I will suspect be predominantly elderly, less well off, and unwilling or unable to access banking services via phone or computer.”