Last bank closing is a ‘blow’

Ellon is set to lose its last physical bank branch this year.

Bank of Scotland, in The Square, will close on September 10 in what has been described as a “blow” to the community.

The move has been blamed on a rise in online banking and comes just months after Virgin Money shut in November.

Customers will instead be able to use the Post Office on Market Street or visit a community banker once a week, with details yet to be confirmed.

Gordon MP Richard Thomson 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.”

Ellon’s TSB closed on Bridge Street last April, and Royal Bank of Scotland, closed in 2018.

Mr Thomson said there was a “fundamental question” about what replaces banks on the high street.

He added: “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.”

In a statement, the Bank of Scotland told customers: “Most customers are now using our mobile app, internet banking or calling us instead, which means they are using branches, including the Ellon branch much less. After the branch closes, our community banker will be available to support you in the local area one day a week.”

Meanwhile, Moray MP Douglas Ross has slammed the “appalling” decision to close the Buckie Bank of Scotland branch from August 1 this year. He said the bank had informed him that there will be a community banker to support customers who will be affected by the closure.

However, the MP says the alternative “simply won’t wash” is seeking an urgent meeting with bank bosses to call on them to reverse their decision.

CHEQUING OUT: Bank of Scotland, The Square, Ellon will shut on September 10.