Highland bank to stay open as parent group closes 82 branches
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HSBC is to retain its only branch in the Highlands after the banking group omitted it from a list of 82 high street facilities set to close this year.
Most of the affected branches are south of the border, although branches in Edinburgh and Falkirk are among those earmarked to shut over the next nine months.
The group has said the closure was in response to changing banking habits with more people turning to online banking, a trend that has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis.
However, HSBC aims to redeploy the vast majority of staff to nearby branches and does not expect any redundancies from the move.
Of the branches selected for closure, 81 are within one mile of a Post Office, where customers
can carry out day-to-day transactions, two-thirds are within five miles of another HSBC branch and nine in 10 are within 10 miles.
Under the changes, HSBC will create four types of branch.
These will include branches which will continue to offer a full range of services, and will be predominantly based within large cities and towns; cash service branches which will support local communities with a greater need for access to cash, alongside simple over-the-counter service and the ability to deal with more complex issues such as bereavement and Power of Attorney; and digital branches enabling cash and cheque transactions to be carried out using self-service technology.
Alongside these, HSB is rolling out the first of its new pop up branches later this year.
These will be temporary, movable units which will help customers with immediate queries including help in setting up and resetting online and digital banking, providing digital education, guidance and customer support.
Jackie Uhi, HSBC UK’s head of network, said the closures were part of a strategic move that would allow the business, one of the UK's four major clearing banks, to have a branch network fit for the future.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for the changes that we are making," she commented.
"It hasn’t pushed us in a different direction but reinforces the things that we were focusing on before and has crystalised our thinking.
“Making sure we have a sustainable branch network is essential to us, and decisions to close branches are not taken lightly. By ensuring we have the most suitable branch format in each specific local market that we serve, we will ensure that we are in good shape to meet the challenges ahead.”
