Coupar Angus has suffered a further high street blow with news a national bank is closing its town branch.
The Royal Bank of Scotland on Union Street will shut later this month with its two staff transferred to the Blairgowrie branch five miles away.
The bank said demand for its services in the town has been ”very low” and said customers are moving towards other banking methods.
Local councillor Dennis Melloy said the relatively short distance to the alternative is little comfort to the elderly or infirm customers who relied on the branch.
He said: ”I am very saddened that the Royal Bank of Scotland has decided to close its Coupar Angus branch. My understanding is that a Royal Bank of Scotland van will visit and, although this will help, for some customers it will be of no use and will mean driving into Blairgowrie or getting the bus with the added cost and inconvenience that this would incur, especially for the elderly.”
Although the Coupar Angus branch is small, Mr Melloy lamented the fact it will leave an empty space in a town desperately trying to bring visitors and shoppers back into the centre.
Controversy remains over the council’s recent pedestrianisation work and the availability of car parking spaces in the town. Many businesses claim that although the area looks better the lack of through traffic is killing their prospects.
Mr Melloy said: ”Once again, another small rural town will lose out and it will mean lost jobs, lost facilities and an empty space when the town is rejuvenating itself.”
A spokesman for the bank said: ”Closing a branch is not a decision we take lightly however demand for our service at Coupar Angus is very low.
”Many customers are now choosing alternative ways of banking, such as 24-hour online and telephone services and our smartphone banking app.
”We will be arranging for our mobile bank to serve Coupar Angus and alternatively our Blairgowrie branch is just over four-and-a-half miles away.
”We are looking to keep an ATM in Coupar Angus and customers can also access their money at the local Post Office or any other Post Office branch, as well as at another 50 ATMs within around 10 miles.
”All of our staff at Coupar Angus will move to our branch at Blairgowrie.”