Two TSB branches are set to shut in Renfrewshire as part of the bank’s latest raft of closures.
The bank has confirmed it intends to close its bases in Johnstone and Renfrew next year as part of major plans to shut 164 branches across the UK and cut 969 jobs.
It comes after the company already announced 82 sites for closure last November meaning that, from the end of next year, the bank will have just 290 branches – down from more than 600 in 2013 when it relaunched in a spin-off from Lloyd’s Banking Group.
It is understood 73 of the closures will be in Scotland.
Bosses said the dramatic move has been driven by a “shift in customer behaviour”, including a huge reduction in the number of people using high street branches and instead opting for online banking.
Gavin Newlands, MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire North, said he will be writing to chief executive Debbie Crosbie and asking for an urgent meeting to discuss the drastic plans.
He said: “In Renfrewshire we know more than most the impact bank closures can have on local communities.
“That’s why I’ll be writing to the chief executive of TSB asking for an urgent meeting to discuss their plans and the impact they’ll have on my constituency.
“If our local businesses are to rebuild for the future they need access to local banking facilities and the continued attacks on branch networks by the big banks are a major obstacle in that rebuilding process.
“We already have a major issue in Renfrewshire with access to cash and pay to use ATMs, and removing options from more people will increase the dependence on these costly machines.
“It is long past time the UK Government used its powers to bring the big banks to heel and remind them of their responsibilities to local communities.”
Since 2016, Renfrew has lost its Santander, Clydesdale and RBS branches, while the Clydesdale site in Johnstone has also shut down.
Paisley and Renfrewshire South MP Mhairi Black , who represents Johnstone, said: “This is really concerning news for staff at a time when we are already seeing predicted mass unemployment.
“Elderly and vulnerable people are more likely to use a bank branch. It isn’t right making them have to travel several miles to access money.
“Statistics earlier this year showed that over half of Renfrewshire’s local bank branches have closed in the last decade. Since becoming an MP I have urged many branches across Renfrewshire to remain open. Sadly, more often than not, they have still decided to close.”
TSB has said data showing a 17 per cent reduction in the number of overall transactions in its branches in the last two years was behind its latest shake-up, with 2.5million customers now choosing to bank online.
Bosses also highlighted the rate of customer registrations for the TSB mobile app is now at almost 4,000 a day.
The bank has said it will introduce 100 mobile advisors to provide additional support to communities where branches are closing.
Debbie Crosbie, chief executive of TSB, said: “Closing any of our branches is never an easy decision, but our customers are banking differently.
“We are reshaping our business to transform the customer experience and set us up for the future. This means having the right balance between branches on the high street and our digital platforms.
“We remain committed to our branch network and will retain one of the largest in the UK.”
