Johnston Carmichael has been appointed by Royal Bank of Scotland to carry out an independent review into ten branches earmarked for closure.

Johnston Carmichael will meet with local customers, local representatives, employees and stakeholders in all ten communities to understand the impact of each individual closure.

Johnston Carmichael has independently developed the scope of work to ensure the review is independent and will consider issues relevant to the ten branches under review. This will include:

• Examining the suitability of alternative banking options in each respective community.
• Taking into account the data used by Royal Bank of Scotland since 2014 to take the decision to close the ten branches.
• Examining whether changes in branch use and local circumstances since the announcement of the closures.
• Feedback from local customers, local representatives, employees and stakeholders.

At the end of the review period (September), Johnston Carmichael will provide the Royal Bank of Scotland with a recommendation either to keep open or close each of the ten branches. The Royal Bank of Scotland will implement in full the recommendations.

Commenting on the appointment as independent reviewers of the ten branches, CEO of Johnston Carmichael, Sandy Manson said: “Johnston Carmichael acts for many businesses and individuals throughout Scotland. We therefore believe we are best placed to advise the Royal Bank of Scotland on both the needs of bank customers in these communities and, based on a number of criteria, to assess the viability of each branch and make informed and objective recommendations about whether each branch should remain open or not.”

Getting in touch

If you're a member of the public who wishes to make a representation please email your comments to RBSbranchreview@jcca.co.uk or send a letter to: The Royal Bank of Scotland Review Team, Johnston Carmichael LLP, 29 Albyn Place, Aberdeen AB10 1YL.