The only bank in the Aberdeenshire village of New Deer has been reprieved from closure, for the time being anyway.
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), which is located on the village’s Main Street, was due to close on Thursday as part of branch closures.
However, this will not now be happening, with the bank being forced into a U-turn.
The bank’s decision comes amidst concerns over new Financial Conduct Authority rules guaranteeing access to cash in communities.
These new regulations, which came into operation on September 18, have seen the company forced to back down temporarily.
If the permanent closure of the branch goes ahead, residents would face more than a 30-mile round trip to access their nearest banks in Fraserburgh or Peterhead.
New Deer local rely on bank
Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross, who has been a vocal critic of RBS’s plans to close the bank, welcomed the postponement and has written to the bank to urge them to take the closure off the table for good.
The MP said: “While the future of New Deer’s only bank still hangs in the balance, the fact the closure has been taken off the table for the timebeing will come as a huge relief to the community.
“While the way people bank is changing, many elderly and vulnerable customers still rely on having access to a branch on their own doorstep.
“That is why I have written to RBS urging them to take the New Deer closure off the table completely.
“We have many businesses in key industries, such as farming in New Deer which rely on this branch, so any future closure will be damaging to the local economy.”
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