RBS announces branch closure
by Lisa Reeves
Tuesday 1st May 2018
Tue 1st May 2018
Following a review of their branch network in England and Wales the Royal Bank of Scotland has taken the decision to close 162 Royal Bank of Scotland branches which will result in around 792 roles being made redundant.
109 branches will close in late July and August 2018 then a further 53 branches will close in November 2018, including the Alderley Edge branch which will close on November 29th.
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.
"Furthermore, the way customers bank with us has changed radically over the last few years. Since 2012 we have seen the way in which people use Alderley Edge branch change, with 87% of customers already banking in other ways locally. Transactions at Alderley Edge have reduced by 60% since 2012 with only 15 customers now visiting the branch on a regular weekly basis.
"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."
The Handforth branch will also close on 12th November 2018 whilst the Wilmslow branch will remain open.
Stephen Justice
Tuesday 1st May 2018 at 5:34 pm
Very sad news for the staff and I'm sure a big blow for the few regular customers who I suspect may include several older locals who may be less comfortable with other methods of banking, less able to get to Wilmslow and probably value the weekly chat when they call in...
But the vacated building would make a splendid corner restaurant - and if that doesn't trigger a salvo of protest I'll retire from social media!!!
Helen Gaughan
Oh crikey !! Should we be surprised ?? Echoing Stephen's comments ... I worry for the folk who rely upon the counter-staff to assist with their banking commitments . I witnessed this myself prior to the closure of NatWest .... An old boy travelled every week by train to the village branch following the closure of the branch in Chelford ..... Where he dealt with paper money transactions and was looked after by a person behind a glass screen !! Who will help these people now , without getting into Wilmslow ?? Clearly a business decision has been made .... I fear that accessibility to one-to-one banking services will cease to exist in the next few years ......
Ian Cook
Wednesday 2nd May 2018 at 6:18 am
A commercial decision by a company with 2 branches on one High Street, as I understand RBS will no longer exist in England, only in Scotland and their customers in England will be moved over to Natwest Customers, so its going to be a walk down the village to the bank for some and less of a walk for others, depending on which end of London Road you live at or can get a parking space!
Think the RBS would make a great bar.... suggested names??
Ian the Nat West in the village closed two years ago. It's a trip into Wilmslow I'm afraid !!
Richard Downs
I fear RBS have made the decision based on old data. Good money says, like Ian, they still think Nat West is open in the village.
Barbara Hughson
Wednesday 2nd May 2018 at 1:19 pm
15 regular customers, and you expect them to stay open? It's a business not a charity! Unless I'm mistaken, you don't need a branch of your own bank to pay something in. You can use any bank or the Post Office
Tony Haluradivth
Thursday 3rd May 2018 at 7:14 am
Barbara that is not always correct. RBS changed it's payment system a while back for it's classic card and stopped taking payments over the phone and through the other banks. So I as a long standing customer was given 2 suggestions ...pay in at the local branch or download their ridiculous App which was riddled with problems. I am suspicious of their excuse (15 regular customers! I bet there are more). And it does impact on the elderly.....Nat West was removed too from the village and they should know that. RBS's problems all started with the appointment of one man Fred Goodwin and his decision to buy AMRO (despite ominous signs in the industry) at the beginning of the banking crisis. The misery that man caused is still unfolding for regular folk 10 years on and as he has not ended up in prison ( where he rightfully belongs), Hell (if there is any Karma in the world or beyond) would be his appropriate final resting place....
Alan Brough
@Barbara Hughson - A business? If that were true it would have ceased to exist several years ago when it famously failed.
It has survived only by the generosity of the public purse, so effectively it is a public service.
We will pick up the tab for the redundancy payments and for any benefit payments to those workers who are unable to find alternative, equivalent work in a shrinking sector.
The fact that the RBS Group closed Nat West in Alderley Edge and now make this move is a cynical snub to those (generally elderly) clients who have, for whatever reason, not embraced "online banking."
Pete Taylor
Thursday 3rd May 2018 at 7:38 pm
A solution : https://bit.ly/2HQ5sUT
Jon Williams
Friday 4th May 2018 at 8:14 pm
Until we lose the Post Office !
Tuesday 8th May 2018 at 4:56 pm
Hopefully the Post Office is becoming more viable by the day with the closure of three banks (HSBC, Nat West & now RBS) in recent years, thanks for the post @PeteTaylor as for the new name for the restaurant @StephenJustice please lets have something more imaginative than 'The Old Bank".
Its sad bank branches are going but I guess that like the changing face of the 'Retail' High St its inevitable. I know that sounds harsh I I am totally sympathetic to the elderly, my own mother turns 93 year this week and she has similarly been impacted by bank branch closure over in Birkdale, Southport (were incidentally the Birkdale RBS branch is on the same closure list as Alderley Edge.
Charlie Gaughan
Wednesday 23rd May 2018 at 6:13 pm
If it's going to be a bar it could be called the city boys bar or the pt club
Sarah Dalton
Saturday 21st July 2018 at 2:47 pm
what is pt club? Not lap dancing is it? Ha whatever next!