TSB to close its branch in Fort William in April
The TSB has confirmed its Fort William branch is one of nine in Scotland it intends closing next April.
The closures are among a total of 70 branches across the UK that the TSB intends to shutter, blaming a decline in branch use as more customers bank digitally.
In recent years, the bank has seen a significant decrease in footfall, with the average number of transactions per branch dropping since January 2019 and no prospect of branch transactions returning to pre-Covid levels.
The nearest alternative TSB branch to the one in Fort William High Street is in Oban - 44 miles away.
TSB set out its intention to reduce its branch network and invest in digital services two years ago as part of its strategy to meet the future needs of customers, but the Covid-19 pandemic has further accelerated the shift away from branch services, with customers shopping and doing more online.
More than 90 per cent of customer transactions are now carried out digitally and video banking accounts for more than 90 per cent of mortgage appointments.
The branches that close carry out around a third - 32 per cent - fewer transactions than the TSB national average. There is also a Post Office or free-touse ATM within a mile of each closing branch.
TSB’s chief customer officer Robin Bulloch said: ‘Closing branches is an incredibly difficult decision to take, but we have to respond to the changes in the way people bank and provide the right mix of services for all our customers now and into the future.’
Mr Bulloch added that, where it takes longer to get to the nearest TSB branch, the bank will introduce more ‘popup’ services in communities, including in Fort William.
At ‘pop-ups’, TSB advisors provide face-to-face support,
The TSB branch in Fort William which is to be closed in the spring.
including making payments, providing product information and helping customers get started with digital banking.
All staff impacted by these changes will have the opportunity to move to an alternative role in TSB.
Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston said he recognised how individuals and businesses access banking is changing, but seeing branches lost in major towns such as Fort William was still extremely disappointing.
‘While I accept that an increasing amount of banking is now done online, many still rely on access to their local branch and the services they have traditionally provided,’ added Mr Halcro Johnston.
‘The swathe of closures we’ve seen in recent years has left remote and rural communities across the Highlands and Islands even further from being able to access face-toface banking, something those who live in the Central Belt of Scotland can still enjoy.’