Why bank has to close

I am writing to let you know that we have taken the difficult decision to close the Royal Bank of Scotland Glasgow Burnside branch on October 12.

The way people choose to bank with us has changed radically over the last few years.

Between 2010 and 2015 mobile and online transactions have increased by over 400 per cent and mobile transactions alone have increased by 1350 per cent.

Since 2011 we have seen the number of transactions in the Glasgow Burnside branch decline by 21 per cent.

These customers are actively choosing to bank in different ways, with 61.5 per cent of customers choosing to use our digital banking options.

We are communicating with our customers affected by the closure and proactively contacting vulnerable and regular branch customers.

We have listened closely to feedback from local communities and have extended the time between announcing our decision and the branch closure to six months.

This has been done in order to ensure our customers have time to consider the right banking options for them.

We know that not all of our customers are comfortable and familiar with using online or mobile banking so we have created a new specialist taskforce of digital experts who will be dedicated to supporting our customers with training and support with digital skills.

We are following the access to banking protocol and we have made the decision after careful consideration of a wide range of factors, including regular branch usage and the alternative ways our customers can bank with us.

We provide a range of alternative ways to bank, tailored to the needs of our customers and reflective of the way they live their lives.

These include: Online and mobile: we are committed to educating customers on how to use these channels securely and simply.

Telephony: our customers can contact us over the phone, via webchat and social media.

Our contact centres are open 24/7 and teams are trained to answer almost every query at first point of contact. Services available over the phone range from transfers and payments to opening new accounts, financial reviews and support with using digital banking.

Post Office: we have a national agreement with the Post Office to provide our customers with a range of banking services. Customers can pay money in, take money out, check balances and business customers can get coinage. The closest post office is 0.05 miles away from the branch. There are 29 post offices within three miles of the branch.

ATMs: there are 34 free-to-use ATMs within 1 mile of the branch.

Royal Bank of Scotland Techxpert: our experts will offer training and support with digital skills, serving the branch until it closes.

Other branches: our nearest branch, Glasgow Rutherglen West, is 1.09 miles away.

I hope I have managed to explain the reasons for the closure and the mitigating actions that we are taking. Jonathan Rennie, Regional PR manager, Royal Bank of Scotland