The Bank of Scotland has announced the closure of its Haddington branch in East Lothian, scheduled for June. The decision follows a review that found only 27% of personal customers had visited the branch over the past year, equating to an average of 867 visits per month during four of the last six months reviewed.
The bank stated that 71% of customers used alternative branches or online banking during the same period. Once the Haddington branch closes, the nearest Bank of Scotland branch will be in Musselburgh. The closure leaves only the Royal Bank of Scotland operating in Haddington, with bank branches now present in just two of East Lothian's six towns: Haddington and Musselburgh.
Lloyds Banking Group, which owns the branch, has applied to East Lothian Council for listed building consent to remove the external ATM and signage from the historic building. The application states that removal will reduce visual clutter and allow the façade to appear more consistent with its architectural detailing. The bank plans to introduce a community banker service, enabling customers to access accounts via mobile apps at community centres or libraries.
