The Helensburgh branch of Santander bank is to close in three months’ time.
The announcement means that the company, which took over other organisations including Abbey National building society, will have no branches at all in Argyll and Bute.
Santander said the ‘difficult decision’ was caused by a number of factors, including the expiry of the lease and ‘the way our Helensburgh customers are choosing to bank with us’.
The West Princes Street branch will close its doors on April 25.
Santander said that 90% of customers also use additional ways to complete their banking – 22% at another Santander branch and 59% through Online, Mobile or Telephone Banking.
Local MP Brendan O’Hara said he had written to Santander to express ‘dismay’.
“I am not aware of any public or customer consultation to assess the impact of this closure,” he added.
“It appears yet another bank is ditching the high street and shifting transactions to the Post Office. Whilst I fully support the Post Office network as vital, I cannot see how this will satisfy the demands of the many customers of Santander in and around both Helensburgh and Lomond but also wider Argyll and Bute.
“I am also writing to the Post Office to ask how they will absorb this extra business in the town and where they are with negotiations on the Banking Framework.
“I am also seeking a full impact assessment or information on what steps have been taken by Santander to prevent any negative impact on the town.
“Once again we are seeing the public suffer, having bailed out the banks during the last crash, it seems the public are the last thought these organisations give in their business planning.”
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