Home   News   Article

Stone meets minister over proposal to bring banking hub to west Sutherland


By Matt Leslie

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!

North MP Jamie Stone has stepped up his efforts to bring a banking hub to west Sutherland by having a meeting with the economic secretary to the treasury, John Glen.

Mr Stone, the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, has campaigned for people in the north to have access to high street banking restored following a spate of branch closures.

Sutherland has been left with only one bank branch, the Bank of Scotland in Golspie.

Since 2015 the Bank of Scotland has closed its branches in Dornoch, Lairg, Helmsdale and Bonar Bridge, and the Royal Bank of Scotland has shut its branches in Tongue and Lochinver.

Clydesdale closed its Brora branch, while Caithness suffered the loss of the Royal Bank of Scotland branch on Wick's Bridge Street.

Some of Mr Stone's constituents face a 150-mile round trip to their nearest branch and those relying on public transport could have a three-and-a-half-hour bus journey each way.

However, Mr Stone hopes that Mr Glen will have listened to his concerns and will make moves to help a new banking hub in west Sutherland to get off the ground.

Mr Stone said: "While we all understand that banking is changing, I am glad that the minister agrees with me that general solutions do not work in a constituency as vast and remote as mine.

"Since being elected three years ago I have been championing shared community banking hubs to ensure those living in remote areas have access to banking services and it is brilliant that the minister is looking seriously at this suggestion and actively moving forward with it.

"There is no reason why banks couldn’t work together to provide joint branches to provide customers with face-to-face advice and proper banking services, regardless of which bank you are actually with.

"A shared hub in west Sutherland would serve communities in Durness, Lochinver and Scourie as well as those living in smaller communities on the west coast.

"I am very pleased that the minister agrees with me and recognises that in a constituency like Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross we need innovative and properly tailored solutions to the banking crisis."


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