Image copyright PA

Royal Bank of Scotland has announced it is closing 162 branches across England and Wales.

The bank said that 792 jobs would go as a result and staff would be offered voluntary redundancy.

RBS branches in England and Wales, and the NatWest business in Scotland, had been earmarked for a new "challenger bank" under the name Williams & Glyn.

However, that project is now not going ahead and the bank has reviewed its branch network.

Some 109 branches will close in late July and August 2018, while a further 53 branches will close in November 2018.

You can see a full list of the branches that will be closing here.

An RBS spokesman said: "We are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank, and we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other; NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland, in England and Wales.

"As a result, we have had to review our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and we've made the difficult decision to close a number of Royal Bank of Scotland branches.

"Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales will be able to use NatWest branches instead for their everyday banking needs."

'Dark futures'

The latest branch closures follow existing plans to close 52 bank branches in Scotland that serve rural communities, and 197 NatWest branches.

The Unite union has calculated that in the case of 71 of the 162 branches closing, customers will be forced to make return journeys of about 25 miles to reach another one.

Rob MacGregor, Unite's national officer, said: "The Williams & Glyn saga rolls on as Royal Bank of Scotland continues with its shambolically poor management of this business.

"How does a taxpayer-funded institution spend £1.8bn on a failed IT project and in the next breath demolish the much-needed local bank branches?

"Today nearly 1,000 employees have finally been told of their dark futures because the bank has been calamitously managed for too long."

In February, following a campaign by local communities, RBS decided to keep 10 branches threatened with closure open till the end of the year.

Nicky Morgan, who chairs Parliament's Treasury Committee, said there was "a risk of increased levels of financial exclusion" as a result of the branch closures, since bank branches were still vital for many people.

"It's important for the government to monitor this trend. If financial exclusion is increasing, the government may be required to intervene," she said.

Analysis: Simon Gompertz, personal finance correspondent

Staff were braced for something like this, though the scale of the closures and job losses is a shock.

Last year the European Commission said RBS could forget about trying to hive off part of its business and, instead, set up a fund to support new rivals.

Ever since then the writing was on the wall for most of the people and branches which RBS had shoved into Williams & Glyn, a Frankenstein bank which no one seemed to want.

That was the trigger, but it's also a fact that big banks have been looking for excuses to close as many branches as they can.

And they would have you believe it is partly your fault, if you've joined the legions who bank on computers and mobile phones.

For customers wondering where it will all end, it seems inevitable that we will end up with even fewer branches.

Those that survive may be dedicated to selling complicated products like investments and pensions, and sorting out tricky complaints.

Mobile banks

Unite is calling on RBS "not to abandon their responsibilities" to the communities that depend on the affected bank branches.

RBS chief executive Ross McEwan recently defended the bank's closure of its Scottish branches, saying that mobile banks are serving 440 communities.

However, the bank has faced criticism from customers that the mobile banks do not stop in each location for long enough.

Image copyright RBS Image caption RBS has promoted online banking and its mobile banking app as an alternative to going into branches

RBS has also tried to persuade customers to start using online banking and its companion smartphone mobile banking app.

But the bank has had to recognise that not everyone wants to handle their banking digitally.

To this end, today it announced that it had created a special taskforce to help customers learn digital skills so they could use online banking in future.</s>Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has decided to close down 162 branches across in England and Wales.

"Around 792 roles will be made redundant, and employees will be supported with the option to leave on a voluntary basis," Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) said in a statement released on Tuesday.

“We are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank, and we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other; NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland, in England & Wales,” added the statement.</s>Royal Bank of Scotland is to close 162 branches in England and Wales, resulting in 792 job losses.

The bank, which is still 72% owned by the taxpayer, said the closures were due to the branches previously being earmarked for conversion to the failed brand Williams & Glyn.

In a statement, RBS said: “Following a review of the branch network in England and Wales a decision has been taken to close 162 Royal Bank of Scotland branches.

“As a result of this process, around 792 roles will be made redundant, and we will seek to support our colleagues with the option to leave on a voluntary basis.”

HuffPost UK understands many of the affected branches are in the north-west of England.

Last year, RBS avoided the compulsory sale of Williams & Glyn, which had been ordered by regulators as part of the bank’s obligations under state aid rules following its £45bn government bailout at the height of the financial crisis.

A total of 109 branches will close in late July and August 2018. These branches are within 0.6 miles of another Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch, the group said.

A further 53 branches will close in November 2018, all of which are between 0.6 and 2.5 miles of another Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch.

Rob MacGregor, of trade union Unite, said: “Today nearly 1,000 employees have finally been told of their dark futures because the bank has been calamitously managed for too long. Ending years of speculation, Royal Bank of Scotland has effectively turned its back on the Williams and Glyn customers and staff.”

An RBS spokesman said: “We are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank, and we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other; NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland, in England and Wales.

“As a result we have had to review our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and we’ve made the difficult decision to close a number of Royal Bank of Scotland branches. Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland in England and Wales will be able to use NatWest branches instead for their everyday banking needs.

“We now provide our customers with more ways to bank with us than ever before – customers can choose from a range of digital, face-to-face and local options to suit their needs.”

RBS also pointed out that since 2014, branch transactions across its English and Welsh operations are down 30%, while there has been a 53% increase in the number of customers using mobile banking, and mobile transactions have increased by 74%.

RBS declined to confirm the specific branches affected but said confirmation would come in due course.

However a list seen by HuffPost UK suggests the following locations will close:</s>The major UK bank says it is closing 162 branches, resulting in 792 job losses. The shock news comes just weeks after Lloyds Bank anounced it too was shutting 49 branches across Britain. It is all down to masses of customers migrating from High Street branches to online banking. And with RBS planning to move more of the business online, it has decided to close branches which are too near each other. RBS said in a statement: "Following a review of the branch network in England and Wales a decision has been taken to close 162 Royal Bank of Scotland branches.

"As a result of this process, around 792 roles will be made redundant, and we will seek to support our colleagues with the option to leave on a voluntary basis." A total of 109 branches will close in late July and August 2018. These branches are within 0.6 miles of another Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch. A further 53 branches will close in November 2018, all of which are between 0.6 and 2.5 miles of another Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch. RBS, still 72% owned by the taxpayer, added that the move was linked to its decision not to sell its Williams & Glyn business. This means the group now has branches in close proximity to another and is seeking to reduce overlap.

A RBS spokesperson said: "We are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank, and we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other - NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland - in England & Wales. "As a result we have had to review our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and we've made the difficult decision to close a number of Royal Bank of Scotland branches. Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales will be able to use NatWest branches instead for their everyday banking needs. "We now provide our customers with more ways to bank with us than ever before - customers can choose from a range of digital, face-to-face and local options to suit their needs."</s>Following a review of its branch network in England and Wales, RBS has said it will close an astonishing 162 of them.

The reason? They are too close to NatWest branches and each other.

"The vast majority of branches across the Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales are in close proximity to either another Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales branch or a NatWest branch," the bank said.

"Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales will be able to use NatWest branches instead for their everyday banking needs," an RBS spokesman added.

"We expect these branch closures to result in around 792 roles being made redundant. We realise this is difficult news for our colleagues and we are doing everything we can to support those affected. We will ensure compulsory redundancies are kept to an absolute minimum.”

A total of 109 branches will close in late July and August 2018. These branches are within 0.6 miles of another Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch, the group said.

A further 53 branches will close in November 2018, all of which are between 0.6 and 2.5 miles of another Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch.

The bank went on to say that as well as branches being near each other, the way people use banks has changed - putting more pressure on high-street services.

"Since 2014, branch transactions across Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales are down 30%. During this same period, there has been a 53% increase in the number of customers using mobile banking and mobile transactions have increased by 74%," the RBS spokesman said.

Unions roundly condemned the move, especially as RBS is still 72% owned by the Government.

Unite national officer Rob MacGregor said: “How does a taxpayer funded institution spend £1.8 billion on a failed IT project and in the next breath demolish the much needed local bank branches?

“Today nearly 1,000 employees have finally been told of their dark futures because the bank has been calamitously managed for too long."

They're not alone, either.

Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), added: “This fresh round of closures will hurt high streets all over the country at a time when thousands of small firms are already struggling.

"When a bank branch goes it means less footfall, less cash in the local economy and less revenue for local small firms as a result."

“If small firms can’t easily deposit takings it makes them targets for theft. Many small business owners have built up relationships with branch personnel that go back years – that’s not something that can be replaced by an app."

Williams & Glyn - the bank that never quite was

For the past few years, the plan had been to take the RBS branches in England and Wales, and spin them off into a new "challenger bank" called Williams & Glyn.

"The Royal Bank of Scotland retail banking business in England & Wales has essentially been run as a standalone bank for around eight years," RBS said.

That plan is now over.

"We are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank, and we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other," the RBS spokesmen said.

"As a result we have had to review our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and we’ve made the difficult decision to close a number of Royal Bank of Scotland branches."

Last year, RBS avoided the compulsory sale of Williams & Glyn, which had been ordered by regulators as part of the bank's obligations under state aid rules following its £45billion Government bailout at the height of the financial crisis.

Instead, RBS will put up money to be shared among so-called "challenger banks" to help them better compete with bigger players.

Others were highly critical of the decision to abandon the project.

“The Williams and Glyn saga rolls on as Royal Bank of Scotland continues with its shambolically poor management of this business," Unite's MacGregor said.

The FSB's Cherry said: “It’s thoroughly disappointing to see RBS using the failed sale of Williams & Glyn as an excuse to further decimate the UK’s bank branch network."

He added: “The £800 million that RBS has put up to avoid the sale of Williams & Glyn needs to be placed in the hands of those that will really make a difference. It was frustrating to see the £45 million of dedicated funding for free branch access removed from the revised RBS package."

You banking options if your branch closes

While many people are happy doing most of their banking online, others aren't.

“As RBS pushes ahead with plans to close yet more bank branches, it’s vital that it ensures all consumers have access to everyday banking services, no matter where they live," Gareth Shaw, Which? Money Expert, said.

"Branch closures are happening at an alarming pace, with almost two thousand having closed since 2015 alone, so communities will rightly be concerned by this latest announcement.

"At a time when changes to the funding of free-to-use ATMs are threatening machines across the UK with closure, consumers must have assurances that they can continue to access the financial services and cash they need.”

The last time it closed branches, RBS told Mirror Money it was "working hard to develop new services" as it shuts people's local branches.

These are the ways it suggested people bank:
• Mobile app and online banking services for all customers and Bankline for business and commercial customers;
• 24/7 Webchat for personal customers, Social Media, Telephony and secure text messaging for those times when face to face is not needed;
• Free-Agent, a free cloud-based accounting software for small businesses, to help our customers keep track of their finances and report their Taxes digitally. It’s easy to use, reduces errors and saves our small business customers valuable time. And with the customer’s permission, we can link it to their business bank account so we can share data for real time conversations about a loan, or another solution to help grow their business.
• With the Post Office: by the second half of 2018, 99.7% of all our customers will live within 15 minutes of a branch, a mobile branch or a Post Office location;
• The Post Office has 11,600 branches across the UK and our customers benefit from longer opening hours - with over 4,000 branches open on Sundays.
• Mobile branches - the fleet serves more than 603 UK communities each week through 717 stops in towns and villages;
• Dedicated TechXpert in every branch across the UK who support our customers with their digital banking and safety online;
• Community Bankers – colleagues who know their local communities and help customers with their individual financial goals and support communities to be safe and secure;
• Business Growth Enablers to support small business customers by providing specialist advice and with events and training to support their business needs. They put businesses in touch with local experts, across the bank and through their networks in their town or city to help businesses where and when they need it most;
• Video Banking service allows customers to connect to us wherever they are. Video Bankers can assist in many different ways, in a location most convenient to each customer. Services include full Financial Health Checks, opening accounts and discussing their short-term borrowing needs. This service can be accessed on a mobile or tablet, via a video connection.
• Customers can self serve through our ATMs, Business Quick Deposit Units & Cash and Deposit Machines;
• 66% of our branch network will have coin-in facilities and 58% will have ADUs.
• Cash courier services with our Bank to You and Direct Cash products.</s>Royal Bank of Scotland is to close 162 branches in England and Wales, resulting in 792 job losses.

The closures come as RBS reintegrates Williams & Glyn, including its branch network, back into the core bank.

A total of 109 branches will close in late July and August 2018. These branches are within 0.6 miles of another Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch.

A further 53 branches will close in November 2018, all of which are between 0.6 and 2.5 miles of another Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch.

Six branches in Wales are on the list to close:

An RBS spokesperson said: "We are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank, and we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other - NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland - in England & Wales.

"As a result we have had to review our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and we've made the difficult decision to close a number of Royal Bank of Scotland branches. Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales will be able to use NatWest branches instead for their everyday banking needs.

"We now provide our customers with more ways to bank with us than ever before - customers can choose from a range of digital, face-to-face and local options to suit their needs."

Rob MacGregor, Unite national officer, said: "The Williams and Glyn saga rolls on as Royal Bank of Scotland continues with its shambolically poor management of this business.

"How does a taxpayer-funded institution spend £1.8 billion on a failed IT project and in the next breath demolish the much needed local bank branches?

"The reality is that as a result of these planned closures the overwhelming majority of customers will find themselves without access to full banking facilities and in the most extreme examples some will find themselves having to make a round trip of circa 130 miles."

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable said: "The Conservatives seem to have forgotten about the 'last bank in town' pledge, where communities must have at least one bank or the local Post Office must take over its duties.

"Ministers must check that RBS has consulted the Post Office for these assurances.

"All this has happened because RBS dragged off and defaulted on its Williams & Glyn spin-off, another of the inglorious failures of its recent past."</s>Two Derbyshire Royal Bank of Scotland branches are among 162 across England and Wales that will close this year.

The company announced yesterday that 162 branches were to close with the loss of 792 jobs. Staff are being offered voluntary redundancy.

The Bakewell branch will close on July 26 and the Long Eaton branch will close on August 29.

An RBS spokesperson said: "We realise this is difficult news for our colleagues and we are doing everything we can to support those affected. We will ensure compulsory redundancies are kept to an absolute minimum.”

Royal Bank of Scotland in England and Wales and Natwest retail banking business in Scotland were due to be launched as a separate 'challenger bank' under the name Williams and Glyn, but this is no longer going ahead.

The spokesperson added: "We are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank, and we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other; NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland, in England & Wales.

“As a result we have had to review our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and we’ve made the difficult decision to close a number of Royal Bank of Scotland branches. “Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales will be able to use NatWest branches instead for their everyday banking needs.”

This is the full list of which RBS branches are closing and the closing date</s>Royal Bank of Scotland has announced it will be closing 162 branches across England and Wales.

As a result, the bank has said 792 jobs will be lost, with staff offered voluntary redundancy.

An RBS spokesperson said: “We realise this is difficult news for our colleagues and we are doing everything we can to support those affected. We will ensure compulsory redundancies are kept to an absolute minimum.”

Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales and NatWest retail banking business in Scotland were due to be launched as a separate ‘challenger bank’, under the name Williams & Glyn. However, this is no longer going ahead.

The RBS spokesperson said: “We are no longer launching Williams & Glyn as a challenger bank, and we now have two branch networks operating in close proximity to each other; NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland, in England & Wales.

“As a result we have had to review our overall branch footprint in England and Wales and we’ve made the difficult decision to close a number of Royal Bank of Scotland branches.

“Customers of Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales will be able to use NatWest branches instead for their everyday banking needs.”

Royal Bank of Scotland said since 2014 branch transactions have been down by 30 per cent.

During the same period there has been a 53 per cent increase in the number of customers using mobile banking and mobile transactions have increased by 74 per cent.

What does this mean for customers?

We do not yet know which branches will be closing. However, the bank will be writing to customers of affected branches to highlight the alternative ways to bank in their area.

RBS has said that technology has been developed which means that customers of Royal Bank of Scotland can now use NatWest branches for their everyday banking, such as withdrawing cash, checking balances or paying in (and vice versa).

Additionally, personal and business customers will be able to access a range of services at either a Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch, including payments, international services, account detail changes and mandates.

In order to support Royal Bank of Scotland customers with these services and their banking needs, members of staff will be dedicated to nearby NatWest branches to offer assistance.

Not all customers are comfortable or familiar with using online or mobile banking, so the bank has created a new specialist taskforce of TechXperts who will be dedicated to supporting customers with training and support with digital skills.</s>Sunderland and Durham's branches of the Royal Bank of Scotland are to close.

The bank has confirmed the branches in Fawcett Street, the original site of the Elephant Tea Rooms, and the Prince Bishops Shopping Centre in Durham are to shut.

They are among 162 to be earmarked for closure, with 792 jobs to go as a result, with staff to be offered voluntary redundancy.

Some 109 branches will close in late July and August 2018, while a further 53 branches will close in November 2018 - Sunderland's will close to customers on Tuesday, August 21.

In a letter, the bank said of the Sunderland closure plans: "As you will be aware, The Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales was due to be divested and launched as a separate ‘challenger bank’, under the brand name, Williams & Glyn.

"Although part of RBS Group, this network operated with a different strategy for customers, with the intention that it would become a completely separate bank.

"As Williams & Glyn is no longer launching as a separate brand, we have reviewed our overall branch network strategy; taking in to consideration that our customers are choosing to do more of their banking on their mobile phone or online, and that we now have two branch networks close to each other: NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland, in England & Wales.

"We have developed technology which means that customers of Royal Bank of Scotland can also now use NatWest branches for their everyday banking, such as withdrawing cash, checking balances or paying in (and vice versa).

"Additionally, personal and business customers will be able to access a range of services at either a Royal Bank of Scotland or NatWest branch, including payments, international services, account detail changes and mandates. In order to support our Royal Bank of Scotland customers with these services and their banking needs, we will dedicate members of staff to nearby NatWest branches to offer assistance.

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

"Since 2014, branch transactions across Royal Bank of Scotland in England & Wales are down 30%. During the same period, there has been a 53% increase in the number of customers using mobile banking and mobile transactions have increased by 74%.

"Since 2012 we have seen the way in which people use Sunderland branch change, with 70% of customers already banking in other ways locally. Transactions at Sunderland have reduced by 49% since 2012 with only 69 customers now visiting the branch on a regular weekly basis.

We provide our customers with more ways to bank than ever before – customers can choose from a range of digital, face-to-face and local banking options. We will also give our customers details about alternative ways to bank with us including our digital banking options, in branch, by post and online."

Georgie Frost, consumer advocate at leading comparison site GoCompare, said: “The decision to close 162 RBS branches is incredibly disappointing for customers and for the almost 800 staff who will lose their jobs.

“It is not just those living in rural communities, the elderly and vulnerable, who will be negatively impacted.

"The fiasco at TSB, which has shut millions out of their online and mobile banking accounts, shows how vulnerable we are should the technology fail, with many forced to make long journeys to get cash out of their nearest branch.

“Indeed, the Unite union has calculated that in almost half of the cases of closures at the majority-taxpayer-owned RBS, customers will be forced to make round trips of at least 25mins to access branch services.

“RBS say that branch transactions have fallen in England and Wales by 30% since 2014 with mobile transactions up almost 75% and mobile banking also on the rise.

“But the reality is there are still too many people who are unable or unwilling to go online, and quite frankly in a fortnight that has seen IT issues at TSB and indeed at RBS itself, there will be many more who now simply do not trust the technology at banks to cope.

“With the disruption at TSB, and now this announcement from RBS, there will be plenty of unhappy customers now looking for a new bank.

“Of course, if it’s important to be with a bank with a branch nearby, the choice may be more limited so check out what features are most important and make sure the account is right for you before you switch.”</s>State-backed Royal Bank of Scotland is to cut around 792 jobs and shutter 162 branches following a review of its network in England and Wales, prompting criticism from customers and one of the unions representing the bank's staff.

RBS said the redundancies and closures were necessary because many of its branches were too close to one another - within 0.6 and 2.5 miles - and because changing consumer habits have caused a drop in footfall.

"We realize this is difficult news for our colleagues and we are doing everything we can to support those affected. We will ensure compulsory redundancies are kept to an absolute minimum," the bank said in a statement on Tuesday.

The cuts follow the closure of 259 branches announced in December last year, which resulted in 680 job losses, and similar moves by Britain's biggest mortgage lender Lloyds Banking Group.

The two banks have cut around 3,600 jobs since December to cut costs and also as they move business online amid rising demand for fintech products and digital and mobile banking.

But many customers still visit their local branch, and some affected by the closures took to Twitter to air their complaints.

"You are closing my local branch, in fact all the branches within a 20 mile radius," said one, Mandy Baxter, in a tweet to RBS. "Please can you advise where I would pay in a cheque after the closures?"

Another customer asked via Twitter how best to close down his account as soon he would not have a branch nearby.

Union Unite criticised the planned closures and cuts, which will affect some of RBS's Williams & Glyn branches, which the bank failed to spin off in 2016.

This was part of RBS's overhaul that followed its taxpayer bailout during the financial crisis. The British government still holds a stake of more than 70 percent in the bank.

The union said close to 60 percent of Williams & Glyn branches would be closed in what Unite said represented "shambolically poor management" of the business.

"Ending years of speculation Royal Bank of Scotland has effectively turned its back on the Williams and Glyn customers and staff," National Officer Rob MacGregor said, adding the move would deprive customers of access to full banking facilities.

Chairwoman of Britain's Treasury Committee Nicky Morgan, said financial exclusion could increase as a result of RBS's decision, with vulnerable people and those in rural areas most at risk.

"If financial exclusion is increasing, the government may be required to intervene," Morgan said in a statement.

RBS's announcement to axe branches in December had already prompted fierce criticism from campaigners and lawmakers, forcing the bank to postpone some closures in Scotland.

The bank's Chief Executive Ross McEwan and four other executives are set to appear before members of the Scottish Affairs Committee next week to discuss branch closures.

The closures in England and Wales will begin with of 109 branches in late July and August 2018. The closure of another 53 branches will follow in November.
Following the cancellation of the Williams & Glyn bank formation, the Royal Bank of Scotland announces the closure of 162 RBS and subsidiary NatWest branches across the United Kingdom.