DUNBAR’S TSB branch has closed its doors for the final time.

The High Street bank shut yesterday (Wednesday), leaving the town centre with just one bank, the Bank of Scotland.

An announcement was made last year that the opening hours of TSB branches in Haddington, North Berwick and Dunbar would be cut. In November, it was confirmed the Dunbar TSB would close permanently.

Councillor Norman Hampshire, who represents the Dunbar and East Linton ward, was frustrated to see the bank close. He said: “Myself and the council chief executive [Monica Patterson] did have a Skype call with Gillian Petty, area director for Edinburgh and Lanarkshire, and Carol Anderson, director for branch banking, and we discussed if there was any opportunity that the bank would change their mind.

“They made the case that the number of people using branches to do their business is very, very limited.”

Ward colleague Councillor Paul McLennan was sad to see it close.

He said: “I worked in the branch years and years ago. Personally, for me it is quite sad to see it go.”

Pippa Swan, chairwoman of the town’s community council, was keen to see the building brought back into use as soon as possible.

She said: “It is very upsetting because it effects the High Street and people lose that convenience of having a bank within walking distance.”

A spokesperson for TSB said: “We have not taken the decision to close our Dunbar branch lightly and recognise concerns about the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in an even lower level of footfall in the branch and an uplift in customers registering for online and mobile banking.

“We are contacting customers to help them use other banking options, including telephone and digital, and are working with the Post Office, which is less than a mile away, to ensure our customers can continue to access banking services.”

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