Glasgow MSP heads to Holyrood to fight trio of RBS branch closures

A Glasgow SNP MSP has announced that he is to bring Royal Bank of Scotland’s plans to close three branches in the city to task before the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood.

The still 73 per cent state-owned, bailed-out lender announced last month that is to shut its branches at Possilpark, Maryhill and Cambuslang in August claiming a fall in the number of customers.

At the time of the announcement an RBS spokesman said customer transactions at the three branches had fallen by nearly a fifth in the past five years and added that online and mobile banking had soared four-fold since 2010.

But the news was met with local outrage and SNP MSP Bob Doris has begun a campaign to have the decision reversed.

Last week he was at a meeting attended by bank bosses, Patrick Grady MP, city councillors John Letford and Franny Scally, a representative from the office of MP Anne McLaughlin, NG Homes and Possilpark, Maryhill, Parkhouse and Lambhill community councils.

Mr Doris said as a result of the campaign, RBS is now considering the various suggestions made at the meeting.

However he is planning to raise the closure threat at a forthcoming debate at Holyrood.

Mr Doris said: “There was a lot of anger and frustration from the community representatives who attended the meeting.

“RBS confirmed there was no consultation with the community ahead of the announcement the branches were to close and much of the information we requested at the meeting from the bank was not available.

“We asked whether matters such as vulnerability and deprivation played any part of the internal assessments carried out by RBS ahead of the decision being taken or whether this was a purely commercial decision.

“It was clear matters such as the prevalence of those in the community without bank accounts or internet access was not considered.”

It had been suggested RBS customers could use the services of their local Post Offices.

But Mr Doris said: “We established using the Post Office did not offer an equivalent service. Bank accounts cannot be opened, direct debits or standing orders cannot be instigated or amended and financial advice including loans and mortgages would not be available.

“It is vital vulnerable constituents have the opportunity to access such facilities rather than alternatives such as pay day loans and illegal lenders.

“Despite our clear belief RBS has handled this situation poorly, I welcome the positive discussions we held about alternative banking facilities such as RBS co-locating with other organisations in the constituency to preserve banking facilities and the siting of mobile banking in the constituency at different times during the week.

“We made a formal request for the closures to be postponed for alternatives to be explored and for continuity of banking provision to be guaranteed in the meantime. With branches due to close in August, this is crucial.”

An RBS spokesman said it had been happy to attend the meeting and engage with the local community.

He added: “We will continue to engage with our customers, staff and the related parties as we work through this process.”