Wick community councillors to get a ‘peek’ at banking hub
Community councillors in Wick will be able to have a sneak preview of the town’s new banking hub later this month.
The hub is being located in the former Royal Bank of Scotland building in Bridge Street, which closed seven years ago this month.
It is in the process of being refurbished and will be ready to open when the town’s last remaining bank branch – the Bank of Scotland, on the other side of Bridge Street – closes in June.
Banking hubs are run by Cash Access UK, a not-for-profit company owned and funded by nine major banking providers, and are operated by the Post Office.
The Royal Burgh of Wick Community Council (RBWCC) has been working closely with Cash Access UK to bring the facility to the town.
Details of how it will work were outlined at a public meeting in the Assembly Rooms in January attended 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.
Further drop-in sessions are scheduled for Sunday, May 25, and Monday, May 26, from 11am to 3pm both days, at Wick library within the East Caithness Community Facility.
At the monthly meeting of RBWCC on Monday night, chairman Allan Farquhar said: “Cash Access UK has been in touch with us. They’re having drop-in sessions later on this month, just to ask questions about the banking hub and the facilities that they’ll have available.
“They have said that we will be able to visit the work site during that weekend as well, so we’ll be able to go in and have a peek.”
In January, Mrs Wilson explained that the hub will have a counter service, run in collaboration with the Post Office, along with a community banker service.
Customers can use the counter service to withdraw and pay in cash and cheques, check their balance, pay utility bills and top up their gas and electricity.
Joy Jackson, who has been running Wick’s post office within the Poundstretcher store since June 2023, will have the role of banking hub operator.
At this week’s community council meeting, Mr Farquhar felt it necessary to point out: “The post office down in Poundstretcher is not closing – both places will be open.”
Since 2018 Wick has lost its RBS, TSB and Clydesdale Bank branches as well as Virgin Money. After the Bank of Scotland closes its doors, the nearest high street banking outlets will be in Thurso.