Residents angry over loss of cash machine

RBS has been accused of “rubbing salt into the wound” after it emerged that a Perthshire village is to lose its cash machine as well as its bank.

The branch in Comrie is one of dozens that have been earmarked for closure by the taxpayer-owner bank.

The firm has now submitted a planning application to remove counters inside the building, as well as the external cash machine (ATM).

The loss means the residents will be left without 24-hour access to cash.

The bank insists locals will not be left in the lurch as there are machines in both the Post Office and the local Nisa store, however since both are closed by 9pm there will be no facility to withdraw cash after that time.

Local councillor Stewart Donaldson said RBS should have made every effort to keep the cash machine.

He said: “Clearly, along with all the other closures in Perth and Kinross, it’s going to make things very difficult.

“It’s not just the closure of the building, the closure of the cash machine will leave the community bereft.

“If they do indeed close the ATM, that is really rubbing salt into the wound. You would have thought at the very minimum they could keep the cash machine.

An RBS spokeswoman said: “We can confirm we won’t be retaining the ATM at Comrie branch, but customers can continue to get cash using their card from their local Post Office, which is very close to the site of the closing branch.

“There will also be two remaining ATMs in Comrie; one in the local Nisa store and a further one in the Post Office.

“A mobile branch will also visit Comrie when the branch closes; the schedule of visits will be confirmed in due course.”

Residents in Aberfeldy yesterday staged a protest against the closure of their branch. A petition against the move has gathered 500 signatures.

Picture: Kim Cessford. Fancy dress wearers burn torches in an ancient ceremony to purge evil spritis on January 1 with their take on the RBS closure programme in Comrie on January 1.