Buckie, Banff and Ellon will see Bank of Scotland branch closures
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The decision by Bank of Scotland to close their branch in Ellon has been condemned by Gordon MP Richard Thomson while Moray MP Douglas Ross has spoken out on the closure in Buckie and David Duguid MP on Banff one.
The closures are part of 38 in Scotland that will see the removal of services in the north-east, Moray and beyond with closures having already taken place in Braemar and Ballater last year.
In Ellon the move means the town will no longer have any banks following the decisions by the TSB, Virgin Money/Clydesdale Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland to close their branches in recent times.
Lloyds Banking Group have confirmed the Ellon Branch will close on September 10 citing the growth in people using online banking.
Figures in the closure documentation which was published today show around 340 people per month were using the branch over a six month period to November with 89 per cent of them personal customers.
The announcement follows the closure last November of the Virgin Money former Clydesdale Bank branch in the town when the bank cited the proximity of the Bank of Scotland cash machine as grounds for not retaining an ATM presence in the town.
Today’s announcement states the Bank of Scotland ATM will also be removed.
The branch closures come off the back of removal of mobile services which were announced in November, with bi-weekly cover to end in Alford, Cullen, Huntly, Insch, Keith, New Pitsligo, Portsoy, Turriff and Westhill by the end of May.
The Banff branch is slated for closure on July 30 having seen an average of 394 customers a month over a six month period to November.
The Buckie branch will close on August 1 having seen an average of 456 customers a month over a six month period to November.
Commenting, Richard Thomson MP for Gordon said: “This news will come as a blow to customers in Ellon and it is disappointing that the fact this is the last bank in the community has apparently been overlooked by those making this decision.
“It is generally accepted that more and more people are doing their banking online and of course that leads to a reduction in footfall at local branches.
"The question for the banks is how they sustain their business in future when they don’t have a ready-made pool of branch customers and are simply one choice in hundreds online.
“The more fundamental question for the communities losing their banks is what replaces them.
"We are fortunate in that Ellon still has two Post Offices but for a town this size to have lost four banks in a short space of time, there must now be a very strong case for a shared Banking Hub.
"This has been adopted in other areas and I’ll be urging that this be adopted for Ellon.”
Moray MP Douglas Ross slammed the “appalling” decision by the Bank of Scotland to close their branch in Buckie as of August 1.
The bank have informed him that once the branch closes, there will be a community banker to support customers who will be affected by the closure.
However, Douglas says that alternative “simply won’t wash” with loyal local customers who continue to be “abandoned” by major banking firms time and time again.
He says that having access to branches is “absolutely vital” for customers in communities like Buckie and across Moray but with each passing year, it looks like banking on the high street is going to be a thing of the past in many parts of the country.
He added that he will be seeking an urgent meeting with Bank of Scotland bosses to call on them to reverse their decision and ensure customers still have access to their bank in their local community.
Moray MP Douglas Ross said: “This is an appalling decision by the Bank of Scotland to close their branch in Buckie.
“The alternative of a community banker to visit the town simply won’t wash with loyal local customers.
“Once again a major bank has abandoned customers in our area. They are completely naïve to think that customers can seamlessly transition to mobile and online banking, when poor connectivity is still a major issue in areas like Buckie.
“Having access to a banking branch in their own community is absolutely crucial for customers, especially our elderly and vulnerable customers and those who don’t have access to a car.
“For them, it looks like banking in our high streets is going to soon become a thing of the past.
“I am seeking an urgent meeting with Bank of Scotland bosses to call on them to reverse this planned closure and ensure customers in Buckie will not see their branch close in a matter of months.”
Banff and Buchan Conservative MP David Duguid said: “The closures of branches in Banff and Buckie are a hammer blow to these communities who have been given very little warning of this happening.
“Banking services are a lifeline to many rural residents who use cash, especially the elderly who are finding it increasingly impossible to manage their money because more and more barriers are being put in their way.
“Residents in Banff will now be forced into making a 60-mile round trip to Fraserburgh or Inverurie which is completely unacceptable given ongoing cutbacks in public transport, and for customers in Buckie, their nearest will be Elgin.
“Banff and Buchan is one of the poorest served areas for rural broadband so it’s not going to be enough to ‘educate’ customers on how to use services online, when it’s just not an option for some residents.
“I have also now requested a meeting with the Bank of Scotland to find out what mitigations will be put in place for both personal and business customers who are most dependent on the use of these branches.”
