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Anger as mobile banking services axed from 15 Perthshire and Angus towns

The Bank of Scotland is being urged to reconsider its plan to end the mobile banking visits in May.

Bank of Scotland branch exterior
Towns which have already lost their Bank of Scotland branches now face the loss of mobile banking services. Image: Stuart Reynolds/Shutterstock.

Mobile banking services are being withdrawn from communities across Perth and Kinross and Angus.

The Bank of Scotland decision will affect Aberfeldy, Auchterarder, Bankfoot, Errol, Scone, Methven, Dunning, Blair Atholl, Luncarty, Coupar Angus, Murthly, Stanley, Kinross and Killin.

Another stop in Kirriemuir, Angus, is also facing the axe.

The service is due to cease by the end of May 2024.

The Bank of Scotland has blamed falling mobile banking numbers for the move.

Aberfeldy set in rolling Perthshire countryside
Aberfeldy is facing the loss of its Bank of Scotland mobile banking service. Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson

Customers are being advised to bank at their nearest Post Office, or switch to mobile banking.

However, the proposal has angered residents in Errol, with a suggestion that their nearest post office is less than three miles away in Newburgh.

Newburgh, on the other side of the Firth of Tay, may be less than three miles by boat but it’s closer to 19 miles by car.

Local Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey said the suggestion was “laughable”.

He added: “I’m writing to Bank of Scotland to highlight this error today and to ask that they reconsider Errol because of the flawed distance information used in this process.”

Councillor Alasdair Bailey
Councillor Alasdair Bailey is urging the Bank of Scotland to re-think its plans for Errol.- Image: Steve MacDougall/DC Thomson

Perthshire North SNP MSP John Swinney said he would also be writing to the Bank of Scotland to urge it to reconsider.

“It is particularly unwelcome that my constituents in Errol will now have to travel almost three miles simply to use an ATM,” said Mr Swinney.

“This is, at best, hugely inconvenient, but may well prove to be much more of an acute difficulty for those reliant upon public transport.”

Future means banking hubs and community bankers

The Bank of Scotland says community bankers will be available in Aberfeldy, Auchterarder and Kinross.

It says it dealt with 1,913 transactions by personal customers in the Perthshire towns from August 2022 to July 2023.

Bank of Scotland logo

Another 2,068 transactions involved business customers.

Just 84 customers were classed as “regular users”.

The Bank of Scotland blow comes after Auchterarder was named as the only Scottish location for one of four new banking hubs.

The units, run by LINK and Cash Access UK, provide shared counter services in towns which have lost their bank branches.

Representatives of the major banks also visit on a rotating basis to help customers with more specific queries.

John Swinney
John Swinney has written to Bank of Scotland bosses. Image: Jane Barlow/PA.

Mr Swinney’s Perthshire South and Kinross-shire SNP colleague Jim Fairlie said he was hopeful that more would follow.

“I have been exploring the concept of banking hubs, and look forward to one opening in Crieff next year,” he said.

Perth and Kinross councillors voted in favour of a call to bring banking hubs to Aberfeldy and Kinross, as well as Auchterarder last month.

Council leader Grant Laing was asked to write to Cash Access UK and LINK, urging them to support applications for the three towns.

A Bank of Scotland spokesperson said: “As many customers now choose to bank online or through their mobile app, visits to our mobile bank branch have fallen significantly over recent years.

“The local Post Office offers everyday banking, with cash also available at close by free-to-use ATMs, alongside other ways to bank such as online, phone and mobile banking services.”

 

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