Former East Lothian bank to be turned into church after closure branded 'appalling'

Kris Gourlay

20 June 2024 at 1:27 pm·2-min read

A former East Lothian bank is set to be turned into a church less than a year after its closure was branded "appalling."

Musselburgh Baptist Church has submitted an application to turn the former Royal Bank of Scotland on Tranent's High Street into the primary location of the town's community church.

In April 2023 we reported how the closure of the bank - the last in Tranent - was branded "appalling." The move angered hundreds of local residents who signed a petition demanding a rethink by the banking giant.

A motion put to local councillors called for the chief executive of the local authority and council leader to meet with the heads of the bank to "express this council’s extreme concern at their decision, and to explore other options with Royal Bank of Scotland for keeping the branch open and ensure we retain access to banking services locally".

However, the bank closed in the summer of 2023 and plans to breathe new life into the spacious building have been revealed. A planning application was submitted this week on behalf of the church.

A supporting planning statement reads: "It is intended that the building will provide a meeting place for Sunday morning and evening worship services & midweek evening meetings for prayer & Bible study.

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"In addition to these activities, it is intended that the building will include office space for the church staff who will work from the building between the hours of 09:00 & 17:30 Monday to Friday. Furthermore, it is intended that a variety of activities will take place in the building throughout the week, including, but not limited to, toddler group, kids clubs, café-style drop in, craft group, chess club, addiction recovery groups, men’s group.

"It is intended that the building will be open throughout the week as a place where the community feel able to come for a cup of tea and a conversation. The church currently consists of 30 people who will be regular users of the building, though we hope for this number to increase, and we anticipate a larger number of people to attend the groups and activities listed above.

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"All of the church members are residents in Tranent, and passionate about serving & benefitting the community we live in as an out working of our Christian faith. We hope to contribute to the growth & improvement of our High Street by maintaining the condition & appearance of our building, and generating increased footfall to the area by having the building open & in operation. "

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