RBS branch to close

THE community of Brae will lose its tiny Royal Bank of Scotland branch later this summer.

The branch at the Brae Hotel is open only on Wednesdays, for less than two hours.

Customers have been advised that they can check their bank balance, deposit and withdraw funds at the nearby post office, located in the Co-op supermarket.

The move is part of a closure programme, which affects a number of small branches across the Highlands and Islands.

Councillor for the area Andrea Manson said the decision of the bank didn’t come as a surprise.

“The days were you have to go to a bank are pretty much coming to an end. The branch was used by local businesses for cash but I don’t think it was used all that much by the public.

“I don’t think closing Brae will make a huge difference, as long as we keep the branch in Lerwick which is important to the whole of the islands,” she said.

A RBS spokesman said the company had taken the “difficult decision” to close the branch on the 20 August.

He said: “We will also work hard to engage with all of our customers, local businesses and the wider local community between now and the closure date to ensure they are aware of the alternative ways of accessing their banking with us in the local area, and to answer any questions they might have.

“No members of staff will be at risk of losing their job as a result of this decision, and they will continue to work from other branches in the local area.”

He added that the closure was a result of changing banking habits.

“Across our network, branch transactions have declined by around 36 per cent since 2010 whilst online and mobile transactions have grown by more than 300 per cent.

“Only nine per cent of our total transactions are now undertaken in our branches in comparison to 25 per cent in 2010.”