Disappointment on Leith bank closures
Lib Dem councillors have previously spoken out against the bank closures in Leith, as reported in the North Edinburgh News.
The below is the letter Cllr Jack Caldwell wrote to TSB. Unfortunately he recieved no reply.
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I am writing with concerns to your proposal to close the Leith Walk branch of TSB on Leith Walk, Edinburgh, which I believe will have an adverse effect on my constituents within Leith Walk ward. I have tried sending it to the 'media' email address as the manager advised, however that mailbox is now defunct and could not get through on the media number.
I apologise for the lateness of this email, but I was hoping to take part in the consultation and express my deep concerns through the proper channels. Unfortunately, as the branch is physically located just outwith my ward (across two streets), Leith Walk ward councillors were not contacted to feed back, despite Leith Walk residents being part of the immediate community that uses this bank. Leith Walk ward, for reference, contains the most densely populated neighbourhood in Scotland. Therefore the closure of this branch means the impact will be significant. Banking, while a private business, is an essential requirement for my constituents’ day-to-day lives and as you’ll be aware, special consideration must be given to any closure or cut, especially during such times of personal financial hardship across the UK.
Concerns that have been raised to me include the businesses on Leith Walk who rely on depositing cash, but I appreciate you have indicated that this service may be able to continue through the local Post Office, which I am aware is incredibly busy at the best of times. However, my larger concern is for residents who appreciate and rely on face to face interactions, including the most vulnerable in our society. Even while trying to obtain this very email address, I was on hold with the TSB support line for 17 minutes before speaking to a human. If this is the alternative being offered within TSB’s Branch Review document, then it fills me with incredible concern for elderly residents and members of the community who may require additional support. I have met with the local manager and relayed these deep held concerns (even for the five minutes while waiting for the manager, I heard numerous customers at the front desk shocked when the clerk notified them about the closure), but I appreciate the branch manager will be limited in what they could say – however did appreciate them listening.
I strongly urge you to reconsider your proposed closure at this location later in September. When I was growing up, banks made a concentrated effort to highlight their role within the community in their advertising material. Leith is being hit hard with a one-two bank branch closure as you may be aware the Royal Bank of Scotland is scheduled to close one month later.
Should you wish to discuss this closure or alternatives to maintain a presence within the greater Leith community, I’d be happy to.
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However, RBS did respond to his request to meet.
During the meeting, Cllr Caldwell raised various concerns including how bust the Post Office on Leith Walk already is despite it being advertised as an alternative location. The Regional Manager is following up on how they can assist the Post Office with any additional resource.
It is incredibly disappointing for the local community that both organisations have decided to pull out of Leith and north east Edinburgh as a whole.