RBs ClOsures
Communities in Perthshire bracing themselves for the loss of their Royal Bank of Scotland branches have been told there could be “dire” consequences for their town centres.
The stark warning came from Cambuslang – the town just outside Glasgow which lost it’s three bank branches in the space of just 14 months – ahead of the closure of the RBS in Pitlochry on Thursday.
A further three branches will shut in Perth and Kinross before the end of June, in Aberfeldy, Kinross and Perth.
And John Batchelor, treasurer of Cambuslang Community Council, exclusively told the Perthshire Advertiser of the devastating consequences bank closures had in their town.
Cambuslang lost its RBS in August 2016 while Clydesdale and TSB also moved away in June last year.
John said: “Having pressured their customers for years to bank online, they ‘blamed’ the closures on the fact that fewer people were coming into the branches.
“Importantly, though, none of them followed the British Bankers Association (BBA) Code of Practice, under which they are meant to assess not just the impact on customers but also the impact on the community. The effects on Cambuslang town centre have been dire.
“First, when the banks left, they also closed their ATMs, so there is now only one fully functioning ATM in a town centre of 80 shops.
“The banks said that the local post office would replace their branch services, but it is located in a convenience store, lacks privacy and doesn’t offer all the services people need. So, many people have to go to the nearest town with a branch – and The city centre branch on Perth’s South Street