Local Lib Dems call for new in banking hubs after latest Bank of Scotland branch closure
Grant Toghill, the Scottish Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Renfrewshire North and Cardonald, has today called for investment in new banking hubs after the latest Bank of Scotland branch closures were announced.
Bank of Scotland and its parent company Lloyds Banking Group announced that it intends to close a further 49 Bank of Scotland sites including the branch in Erskine. This follows the closure of the Renfrew branch last year.
This leaves northern Renfrewshire, which also includes the villages of Bishopton and Langbank without any bank branches after the 13th January next year.
Grant Toghill said:
“Honestly deeply saddened to see my own local bank branch close, with the loss of in person services such as mortgage advice.
"The closure of yet more local services will be a great shock to the area. Every local facility that we lose has a wider impact on other business in the community.
“After losing the Bank of Scotland branch in Renfrew last year, we have already seen issues with residents getting access to money and other banking services.
"It is a lot harder to restore a service that has been lost rather than keeping one open and getting a workable solution in place first.
“The banks and regulators need to work at urgently deliver banking hubs for Renfrewshire to ensure that local people and businesses are not left behind.”
Scottish Liberal Democrat West Scotland MSP and economy spokesperson Jamie Greene said:
"Local people have seen branch after branch close over recent years.
“The decision in Erskine highlights the urgent need for alternatives that genuinely work for our communities.
"Lib Dems have consistently called more schemes such banking hubs to support local businesses as a solution to bank branch closures.
“It is time banks matched their rhetoric about serving customers with real investment in hubs and services that people can actually use."