Fears have been raised that Ellon and its surrounding villages are being forced to become a cashless society following the closure of the town centre’s last remaining ATM.
It comes as Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross’s petition has now reached the milestone of more than 1,000 signatures, as calls intensify for a banking hub to be brought to the town.
The Bank of Scotland has now boarded up the only ATM left in the town centre following the closure of Ellon’s last remaining bank in September last year.
Ms Cross recently met bosses at Link after visiting businesses in the Square.
She has now written to them demanding that its decision not to award Ellon a banking hub, despite not having a branch or an ATM in the town centre, is looked at again.
Link previously said an ATM situated almost a mile away at Ellon’s Esso Petrol Station was enough to serve the town centre and that a banking hub was not needed.
Following the closure of the ATM, Gordon and Buchan MP Harriet Cross said: “Ellon and the nearby villages are being forced into becoming a cashless society.
“Ellon is a key economic hub for Aberdeenshire with a population of more than 10,000 people who depend on face-to-face banking and easy cash access.
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“Banking services are a lifeline to many rural residents and businesses who use cash, especially the elderly, who are finding it increasingly impossible to manage their money because more and more barriers are being put in their way.
“Cash is king, but after visiting concerned businesses in the town centre, my overriding fear is that the absence of banks and ATMs will negatively impact trade and put off others from setting up shop in Ellon.
“That is why I will not stop in my campaign for Ellon to have a much-needed banking hub for both personal and business customers whose livelihoods depend on access to cash and other services.”
