No reprieve for RBS branches in the area

Fight goes on as firm lift threat of closure from 10

RBS has reprieved 10 of its 62 closure threatened branches but still intends to axe the outlets in Bannockburn, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane.

The company made the announcement yesterday (Tuesday) was in spite of a campaign to save the three Stirling area branches. More than 2000 have signed a petition in favour of the retention of the one in Bannockburn.

At the weekend it emerged that talks were taking place between RBS executives and members of the Westminister Parliament’s Scottish Affairs Select Committee.

SNP leader at Westminster Ian Blackford claimed the talks were moving in a “positive direction” to save branches in towns which would be left with no banking services.

And RBS announced the branches in Biggar, Beauly, Castlebay on Barra, Comrie, Douglas in Lanarkshire, Gretna, Inveraray, Melrose, Kyle and Tongue were safe until the year. Usage would be reviewed by independent research over that period.

However, the branches at Bridge of Allan and Bannockburn are not on the list even though their closure would leave both communities without conventional banking facilities .

Bannockburn SNP councillor Alasdair MacPherson said: “The closure of Bannockburn branch would be a huge blow for its loyal customers and my heart goes out especially for the elderly who have been faithful customers for decades.”

He accused Stirling MP Stephen Kerr and his Conservative colleagues of not doing enough to fight closures proposed by RBS, which is majority owned by the taxpaper.

A Stirling Tory source said Mr Kerr had raised the bank closures in the House of Commons and expressed his anger at the move in a letter to RBS.

The source added : “The Scottish Affairs Select Committee has been working on this on a cross-party basis and Ian Blackford and Alasdair MacPherson shouting their mouths off doesn’t help.

“They may be looking at putting a stop to the closure in communities where there would be no other banking facilities but it is a question of the fine detail and how RBS define a community.”

RBS say the closures are a result of a significant reduction in transactions at the branches in Bannockburn, Bridge of Allan and Dunblane. RBS said in Bannockburn transactions were down 25 per cent since 2012, whicle in bridge of Allan they had fallen by 52 per cent and in Dunblane by 33 per cent.

Bank of Scotland is to close branches in Bridge of Allan, Munro Road in Stirling, Alva and Denny.

“The bank has blamed a drop in usage at the Bridge of Allan branch and say customers’ accounts will be switched to the Dunblane outlet.