By Lucy Ashton
Dumbarton constituency MSP Jackie Baillie has hit out at banking giant RBS after closure plans for Helensburgh’s branch were confirmed.
The politician, who worked with the local community to retain the facility for residents, condemned the closure.
Banking bosses have revealed that the Colquhoun Square branch will close for good on November 20th.
It comes after a well-supported campaign to save the bank resulted in the doors being kept open – but only temporarily.
RBS, part of NatWest Group, announced in April that it would close the facility on September 25th.
But a campaign of opposition, which included efforts by the MSP, resulted in an eleventh hour reprieve.
Plans had to be put on hold after new laws introduced by the Financial Conduct Authority, governing cash access for communities, came into force.
The move resulted in a stay of execution while cash access specialists Link carried out an independent review of access to cash in Helensburgh and Lomond.
But the report found that the provision of new cash access facilities was not required, sounding the death knell for the closure-threatened Helensburgh branch.
Link’s report concluded: “We are not recommending the provision of any new cash access services in Helensburgh at this time.
“This is because our assessment shows there are already cash access services and facilities within a 1 mile radius which are suitable for the needs of the local area, or the deficiency does not cause a significant impact on the local area.”
Concerns remain that the population of the area, many of whom are elderly, will be heavily impacted by the loss of over-the-counter services.
Jackie Baillie, left, said: “I was, and remain, extremely disappointed over the Royal Bank of Scotland’s decision to close its Helensburgh branch.
“I met with bosses in an effort to persuade them to retain this facility for the benefit of the community, but they were hell-bent on closure.
“It is extremely disappointing that face-to-face banking services in Helensburgh and Lomond, which has a large ageing population, have been cut to the bone in this way.”
Banking services in the town have dwindled in recent years.
Spanish giant Santander closed its Helensburgh branch in 2019 and Bank of Scotland bosses closed their Kilcreggan outlet in recent months.
The opening hours of Bank of Scotland’s own Colquhoun Square branch have also been cut, which now operates from 9am until 3.30pm, Monday to Thursday.