Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, has met with Bank of Scotland (BoS) executives to discuss his concerns about the closure of the last bank in North Berwick.
Craig raised concerns about the planned closure of the bank, although the Bank of Scotland stressed that there would be no possibility of the decision being reversed.
While bank bosses say transactions have fallen 40% since 2019, Mr Hoy said: “I appreciate banking habits are changing, but I am deeply disappointed that the decision to close the last bank in North Berwick has been taken.
“Access to cash for businesses and the many elderly and vulnerable residents of the town and surrounding villages is essential, and closing the Bank of Scotland branch will be a big loss. Community engagement is key, and I urged BoS to maintain open lines of communication with residents and stakeholders.”
The bank is working with Link to explore additional cash transaction solutions in North Berwick. While specific details are not yet available, Mr Hoy has committed to assisting the process in any way to ensure the solution is right for the community.
BoS also confirmed that it had withdrawn mobile banking around Scotland following a 90% drop in service usage.
Craig called for further investigation into the scope to deliver a banking hub in North Berwick amid community fears that the Post Office could be overwhelmed during peak periods.
He added, “The seasonality of visitors to the area means that the Post Office may be able to cope during the quiet winter months but may be unable to deal with the banking needs of tourists and visitors to the town in peak periods when it is busy.”
Craig was assured there would be no compulsory redundancies due to the closure. The building is owned by the bank and is expected to be put on the market next year.
