A SALTCOATS bank is closing later this year – leaving customers facing a trip to Kilmarnock to visit their closest branch.  Barclays branch in Hamilton Street will be closing its doors for the final time on September 11 with staff members being given the chance to move to other branches nearby.  In a letter sent out over the weekend, those who are currently Barclays customers were told that the store would be closing due to lack of usage over the past seven years, with a drop of over 40 per cent.

Now customers will have to travel to Kilmarnock town centre to visit their nearest Barclays branch but have been told they can use the local Post Office to pay cash and cheques into their personal accounts.  Barclays Community Leader for Scotland, Brendan Hastings, said: “The way customers undertake their banking is changing as people increasingly use online, telephone and mobile devices.

"We must therefore evolve the shape and size of our branch network in response to changing customer behaviour.

“At Barclays branch in Saltcoats, customer usage has declined 41 per cent since 2008, which is why we have taken the difficult decision to close the branch on September 11.

“Our colleagues at the Barclays branch in Saltcoats have been consulted about the change and will be given the opportunity to work at a nearby branch.

“We hope that the access to services at the local Post Office and our range of digital channels will help to ease the transition for our customers as we move out of the branch in Saltcoats.

“We do not take the decision to close any branch lightly and we are committed to adhering to the new UK Government protocol on branch closures.

“All of our customers will receive a letter, posters will be displayed in branch and colleagues will be on hand to assist customers with any concerns they may have.

"We will be proactively engaging with local businesses and the wider community to discuss the alternative ways customers will be able to undertake their banking locally, before the branch closes on September 11.”