Bank urged to open pop-up shop in town following branch closure

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

Earlier this year, RBS announced its intention to close its Stonehaven branch, which will mean account holders have to travel up to 20 miles to the bank’s office in Aberdeen.

The decision sparked a public outcry, and since then bank bosses have held a meeting with members of the town’s business community.

RBS has offered to provide a mobile banking service for customers 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 and RBS has said it will provide online banking tutorials in affected communities prior to the closures to help allay concerns.