Concerns raised over bank closures
21st May 2015
COUNCILLORS have expressed concerns over the closure of banks in Highland communities.
Chair of Resources Committee Maxine Smith responded to the announcement that RBS is to close its branch in Invergordon, where there are no remaining banks. She said: "It is very concerning to hear of this closure, when RBS previously gave assurances that they had a policy of not closing branches where they were the last bank in a town. Not everyone has access to online banking and in areas of social deprivation, such as Invergordon, people really need to be able to have physical access to a bank without the cost and inconvenience of travelling to another town."
Acting Leader David Alston added: "This will be a blow to people in Invergordon and is a worrying trend if banks start to withdraw last branches from other towns in the region. The Highlands covers a vast area and we have dispersed and fragile communities which depend on basic services such as banking. We will be writing to RBS in the strongest terms to ask them to reconsider their decision and to clarify their policy in this regard."
Local members for the Cromarty Firth Ward also voiced their concerns. They added: “We were very concerned to hear that the RBS have taken a decision to close the last remaining bank in Invergordon and have asked our CEO of Highland Council and Stuart Black to start a constructive dialogue to enable the decision to be overturned. We must have the basic infrastructure to allow businesses and the community to operate and have access to banking.
“Whilst we recognise that the Oil & Gas market is in a downturn, this will not last forever and we are confident when the Oil price increases so will the business opportunities. The Port Authority has just invested £25m to create an additional Quay, laydown and space for other facilities which we are sure will attract some of the renewable projects that are coming on stream. Going forward we anticipate that there will be long term sustainable employment and that will require access to banking. We are keen that conversations take place to find a solution and urge the RBS to look at how some form of banking can be continued and we as Councillors are keen to investigate all options. We sincerely hope that we can reach some form of mutual agreement.”
Related Businesses
Related Articles
As intimated in Highland Council's budget plan, a new senior management structure is to be implemented following approval by Council 14th March. It reconfigures the senior management team into two layers, rather than three and brings Highland Council into line with other benchmarked authorities.
Today, Morrison Construction introduced some of their local apprentices who are working on the UK Governments' Levelling Up Funded refurbishment project at the Northern Meeting Park in Inverness. All these apprentices have been recruited from the Highland area.
The by-election to elect a councillor to represent Ward 19 - Inverness South on The Highland Council has been won by Duncan Cameron McDonald - Independent who was one of the eight candidates who contested the vacancy. Voters in the ward went to the poll yesterday (Thursday 11 April) and the by-election count was held this morning in The Highland Council Headquarters in Inverness.
The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate. The Technology Placement Programme offers funding to businesses in the Highland Council area to cover up to 70% of the cost of employing a student or graduate.
Following the success of its Business Digital Grant scheme launched last year, The Highland Council is delighted to announce further funding. This is to help Highland companies access digital support alongside other business growth support.
The Highland Council is delighted to confirm a highly successful second year for Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights between Wick and Aberdeen. The period from April 2023 to March 2024 has seen a substantial increase in passenger numbers, with several months seeing over 1,000 passengers using the service, and overall the service has seen year on year growth of 25%.
Members of Highland Council, who met on Thursday 14 March 2024, approved a corporate Digital Ambition, which has been designed to deliver significant organisational change across Council services, recognising the current priorities within the organisation. The Strategy, which is embedded within the wider Council Delivery Plan, has been developed to focus attention and resources on areas of change which will deliver the greatest benefit to the Council.
The Council remains committed to supporting mentoring in our schools, including the support that is currently delivered through the MCR Pathways programme. Highland Council is currently undertaking a review of Employability Support provided by a number of different council services and how these relate to the work carried out by external partners and in our schools.
Highland Council members have considered and agreed a revised draft Highland Outcome Improvement Plan. The partnership plan has been reviewed and updated by the Community Planning Partnership.
Members at today's (14 March 2024) meeting of The Highland Council agreed the local authority's new draft Community Wealth Building Strategy. They were also asked to note that a period of public engagement on the draft will now begin, with a final strategy returning to full Council for consideration in September.
