Call for ‘pop-up’ RBS once a week

Calls have been made for a high-street bank to open a “pop-up” branch in Stonehaven.

Earlier this year Royal Bank of Scotland announced its intention to close its base in the town, which will mean customers having to travel up to 20 miles to the bank’s office at Queen’s Cross in Aberdeen if they need inbranch services.

The decision sparked a public outcry and, since the decision, bank bosses – who also plan to shut the Banchory and Westhill

“If RBS goes, will this mean TSB and Bank of Scotland also pull out?”

branches – have held a meeting with members of the town’s business community.

RBS has offered to provide a mobile banking service but this has been branded inadequate by businesses.

Now Stonehaven’s community council, business association and town partnership are calling for the bank to retain its service in Market Square on a temporary basis.

Phil Mills-Bishop, community council chairman, said: “We have asked them to consider a pop-up bank, the idea being they could sell the building to a local consortium and rent part of the building back to have a service one day a week.

“A mobile bank works for a rural community but it’s not enough for a provincial town the size of Stonehaven.

“Our population is only 1,000 less than Inverurie and they are not losing their service. A pop-up unit would mean we don’t completely lose the service and then the community could use the building the rest of the time, they already have all the safes, lockers and what they need in there.

“It’s not a completely original idea – it has been used in America.”

The branch is due to shut on October 2, with Westhill due to close the following day, while Banchory will close on September 28. RBS has said it will provide online banking tutorials in affected communities prior to closure to allay concerns that some customers are not sufficiently computer literate to cope with the transition.

Mr Mills-Bishop added: “The big concern is the domino effect. If RBS goes, will this mean TSB and Bank of Scotland also pull out?”

COST OF CLOSURE: RBS customers in Stonehaven, Banchory and Westhill will soon have to travel to the Queen’s Cross branch in Aberdeen for face-to-face banking