Home   News   Article

Cash Access UK happy to bring Wick’s former Royal Bank ‘back into the community’





James Wilson, senior development manager for Cash Access UK’s north region, and his wife Lesley, community engagement officer for Scotland and Northern Ireland, after the public meeting in Wick Assembly Rooms. Picture: Alan Hendry
James Wilson, senior development manager for Cash Access UK’s north region, and his wife Lesley, community engagement officer for Scotland and Northern Ireland, after the public meeting in Wick Assembly Rooms. Picture: Alan Hendry

Representatives of Cash Access UK say they are pleased to be bringing the old Royal Bank of Scotland building in Wick town centre back into community use.

They considered seven properties as potential locations for the town’s banking hub before settling on the former RBS branch in Bridge Street, which closed in May 2018. The building dates back 195 years.

The hub will be ready by the time the town’s last remaining bank branch, the nearby Bank of Scotland, closes in June.

Banking hubs are owned by Cash Access UK, a not-for-profit company owned and funded by nine major banking providers, and are operated by the Post Office.

An update on plans for the Wick hub was given at a public meeting in the Assembly Rooms on Thursday night by Lesley Wilson, community engagement officer for Cash Access UK in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and her husband James, senior development manager for the north region. The couple are based in Ayr.

Related story:

Banking hub in former RBS hailed as ‘a success story for Wick’

“We chose the building as the old Royal Bank,” Mr Wilson told the audience of about 80. “There is a huge amount of space in the basement that’s going to be mothballed but the whole ground floor is going to be utilised.

“It’s in design at the moment. There are going to be two meeting rooms, an ATM and a large banking hall.”

The ground floor of the former RBS building will be used for Wick’s banking hub. Picture: Alan Hendry
The ground floor of the former RBS building will be used for Wick’s banking hub. Picture: Alan Hendry

Mr Wilson revealed that Cash Access UK had looked at seven properties, including the disused Semichem store and the former TSB branch, both in High Street. He pointed out that some properties were unsuitable because of their limited accessibility for wheelchair users or people who use walking aids.

The former RBS “ticked all the boxes”, he said. “We need to make sure that we’ve got a wide enough entrance door and everything is flat there.

“Also, it’s a very pretty building that wasn’t getting used and we get to bring it back to something that is useful for the community – which for me is one of the main things, bringing it back into the community and not leaving an old building to rot.”

Listed building consent, advertising consent and a building warrant will be required. A 10-year lease has been agreed.

Mr Wilson pointed out that there are now 107 banking hubs around the UK and said feedback from the public has been positive.

“There’s a lot of scepticism when they first hear that a bank is going to close – people are very apprehensive about change,” he said.

“I’ve been there since we had five open and now we’ve got 107.”

The former RBS building was constructed around 1830 and altered in 1864. It was once known as the Commercial Bank.

Since 2018 Wick has lost its RBS, TSB and Clydesdale Bank branches as well as Virgin Money. The Bank of Scotland is scheduled to close on June 25, 2025

In a branch review released in June last year, Bank of Scotland said: “Most customers are now using our mobile banking app, internet banking or calling us instead.

“This means they are using branches, including our Wick branch much less. Because of this, we'll be closing our Wick branch.”


Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More