Cashing out on our communities
RBS shuts branches in five Ayrshire towns Councillor calls for stand against bank quitting ‘ village’
A banking giant has been slammed for “turning its back on communities” after walking away from FIVE Ayrshire branches.
The Royal Bank of Scotland will drive a stake through its Ayrshire operation when pulling down the shutters later this year.
Corporate chiefs will pull the plug on services in Troon, Prestwick, Girvan, Mauchline and Cumnock.
Tellers will stop dishing out cash to the public by October.
In justifying the move, the bank claim more customers had switched online.
It marks the latest hammer blow to traditional banking, with a raft of branch closures recently.
Rival bankers at the Clydesdale have already announced their withdrawal from Troon, Prestwick and Cumnock.
The move will leave Troon with just two bank branches – the Bank of Scotland and Santander – compared to five at its peak.
And the RBS sparked outrage last year when packing up in Dalmellington.
A spokesman for the firm said: “The way people choose to bank with us has changed radically over the last few years.
“Between 2010 and 2015, mobile and online transactions have increased by over 400 per cent and mobile transactions alone have increased by 1350 per cent.”
The acting general secretary of Unite, the union, Gail Cartmail, said: “The RBS Group is turning its back on the communities that have been the foundation of its business for generations.
“People like the face- to- face contact that having a physical presence in the high street provides.
“Pensioners, people with mobility issues, and those without internet access are being particularly hard hit – especially in rural areas.
“Small businesses are also badly affected – especially those that rely on cash- handing.”
Ayr MSP John Scott said: “The closure of these bank branches is a heavy blow to the communities in Troon and Prestwick and particularly to the many local people who won’t necessarily have access to internet banking.
“The run- down of local banking services has been of concern to me for some time and it is a matter I have raised in the Scottish Parliament on behalf of concerned local constituents.”
Central Ayrshire MP, Philippa Whitford, said: “Many people still value their high street banks and it is especially important for many small businesses to have quick, personal access to services such as cash deposit and coin exchange.
“I understand that all the banks which have announced closures recently have made arrangements with local Post Offices to provide some services on their behalf.
“However, this will not provide the same level of service for those who prefer to do their banking in person and it is likely that there will be increasing pressure with longer queues at busy periods.”
Fellow parliamentarians Jeane Freeman and Corri Wilson have demanded an urgent meeting with the bank’s bosses.
Ms Freeman, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, said: “When RBS shut their branch in Dalmellington, their replacement mobile banking service has no disabled access, so customers with mobility issues are forced to do their banking in the car park.”
Ms Wilson said: “By using the same old excuse that closures are driven by increased use in technology, RBS fails to understand the challenges that its customers in outlying areas face when attempting to access digital technology.”