Edinburgh locals say hit out at plans to turn bank into Black Sheep Coffee shop

Edinburgh locals have hit out as the site of a once-loved local bank is set to be replaced with a new Black Sheep Coffee.

The Royal Bank of Scotland branch in Bruntsfield closed over a year ago – and after months of speculation over what would take its place, it is now set to become a branch of the London-based chain after plans were approved on Wednesday.

Councillors voted to approve the business’s planning permission after officers recommended approval.

Olivia Kekewich, assistant manager at the nearby Edinburgh Bookshop on Bruntsfield Place, believes the change will impact the local community.

“We don’t actually think it’s necessary. In this area, there are so many local businesses,” she commented.

“So many of those are cafes and coffee shops that will obviously be affected by it, and we’re in such a community-based area, local businesses support other local businesses.

“For us, as a bookshop, it would be like a Waterstones opening in the area.”

Angus Linton, owner of the W Christie butcher shop in Bruntsfield, feels that the chain moving in will bring more business to the neighbourhood PA Media

Many businesses in the area, including the bookstore, have signage calling on visitors to shop, eat, and drink locally.

There is currently a Pret in the neighbourhood, which several locals said also drew significant backlash when it opened.

Ms Kekewich said many residents and businesses alike had felt the impact when the bank branch closed.

She said: “Every time a bank closes, banks are going to online services, and there are a lot of disabled and older people who cannot use those facilities.

“And as a business, we still need to have cash money, and stuff like that. We have to go further afield to do that now.”

The nearest cashpoints are each over half a mile away from the former RBS branch, with one in Bruntsfield and another at the Waitrose in Morningside.

Sylvia Ackroyd, who has lived in the area for over 40 years, also felt upset at the loss of the bank, saying: “It’s been very bad losing the bank. It’s a very residential area, and folk like using banks.”

She added that she felt the community would be harmed, with local businesses suffering from the addition.

She said: “There are enough coffee shops in this area. And in this area, where I’ve lived my whole life, it’s always been a very local shopping district.

“Chains come in. This is going to be another chain. It could be maybe a nail bar, or a hairdresser, or all three!

“They could open it as a bank, which would be quite handy. But what happens is they come in, and the independent shops who have worked right through Covid, suffer.

But not everyone in the area is opposed, with Angus Linton, the owner of the family-run W Christie butchers shop, saying he looked forward to the opening.

He said: “Having a shop full of people is better than having a shop empty all year. If a shop’s there, it’ll bring people around to the area; if the shop’s empty, it won’t.

“I’m not bothered, as long as it’s full, it’ll bring people into the area. My dad always used to say, an empty shop is a bad shop in the area.”