Following the announcement that the Bank of Scotland plans to close their last remaining branches in Bathgate and Linlithgow in early 2025, the West lothian Liberal Democrats have launched a petition to save the last banks.

While the cash access network LINK has confirmed plans to establish banking hubs in both towns, so far there has been no public consultation, nor any clear timetable of when these hubs will be operational.

Councillor Sally Pattle of the Linlithgow Ward says, "The loss of the final physical bank branches in both Linlithgow and Bathgate will cause huge disruption for both personal and business customers across West Lothian. As a frequent user of the bank in Linlithgow for business purposes, I see how busy the branch is on a weekly basis, so I cannot understand the justification given that not enough people are using it. Losing our bank will also mean two fewer ATM machines in the town, as well as the loss of the nightsafe - vital for business customers. There are still many customers who are unable to use online banking services for various reasons, and there are times when it is essential to speak to a human face to face. While I welcome the plans for banking hubs in future, I am deeply concerned about any gap in service provision while they are established, so I would ask the Bank of Scotland to reconsider their plans until we have clarification on the situation."