HOPES for a cash hub in Moffat were dashed this week, but the town’s post office has agreed ‘in principal’ to fill the void.
Talk of a cash hub emerged after it was announced that the Bank of Scotland branch would be closing in November due to an increase in online banking.
Following the announcement LINK, the body which manages the UK’s ATM network, carried out an assessment of cash access in Moffat and Cash Access UK, a not-for-profit company funded by major high street banks, was scoping out the town for its own cash hub.
However it was revealed at Tuesday’s meeting of Moffat and District Community Council (MDCC) that the town will not be getting a cash hub after all.
Instead, LINK’s original recommendations of improvements to the town’s Post Office are the way forward.
Jamie Wood, director of Benmar Services, attended Tuesday night’s meeting to reassure residents.
He said: “I have recently had a conversation with a chap from the Post Office who is dealing with this issue and he has been in discussion with Cash Access UK who look at this issue along with LINK to decide what is necessary for the local community to get access to withdrawing and depositing cash.
“They have said on the basis that we would be prepared to extend our hours so that we are open Monday – Friday 9 am to 5 pm as a minimum and we could continue to open on a Saturday morning as well.
“They also talked about upgrading our offering to what they call an ‘enhanced Post Office’ service. Now we haven’t got clarity on what is meant by that, but on the assumption we are prepared to do that, and I have said in principle that we are, then Cash Access UK are not looking to do anything else within the town.”
The other recommendations for the Post Office included: a free cash deposit service for personal current accounts; a cash deposit service for businesses; a free cash withdrawal service for personal current accounts; and a cash withdrawal service for businesses.
Mr Wood added: “I have been investigating the possibility of us putting an ATM outside of the shop, that would then mean it’s available 24/7.
“Our shop is open from 6 am to 10 pm apart from a Sunday, that presumably is when most people will want to withdraw cash, but my feeling is that it doesn’t provide the service that a town like Moffat should have or deserve.
“I was little bit perturbed when it was indicated that we wouldn’t be able to cope with the demand.
“But we’ve coped quite well up until now and the staff we have are well trained and are able to cope with the same thing people working in a bank do, like confidentiality and all the rest of it, so anybody coming to the Post Office rather than the bank shouldn’t have any fears about that.”
