A Renfrewshire town will be left with just one bank as it faces losing its branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) later this year.

RBS has announced it is closing its doors in Church Street in Johnstone on Tuesday, August 15, making it the third local bank to pull down its shutters for good in recent years.

Following the closure, the only bank left in the town will be the Bank of Scotland, while the nearest RBS for Johnstone customers will be the Paisley Chief Office in Moncrieff Street.

According to the banking giant, the decision was made after looking at the likely impact on customers, how often customers use the branch, the transactions they are making and their banking preferences.

It has also taken into account where the nearest branch is and the closest cash machines are, whether there is a local post office for everyday banking and all the other banking options including digital, mobile, telephone and video banking.

A guide explaining the decision said: “With the ease of mobile and digital banking fewer people are coming into the bank.

“This means we’ve had to make some tough choices about which can stay open. So, we want to make sure that we keep the branches people are using most.”

When comparing January 2019 and January 2022 in Johnstone, counter transactions for personal customers decreased by 55% and the branch was used by two personal customers and 151 business customers on a regular basis in 2021.

In the same year, 67% of personal customers using the branch also chose to use digital banking or their mobile app.

Councillor Iain McMillan described the news as a “further blow for the town”, following the closure of the High Street’s branch of the Clydesdale Bank in 2017 and of TSB, in Rankine Street, in 2021.

Cllr McMillan told the Gazette: "This is bad news for the people of Johnstone and surrounding areas.

“We will be left with one bank in the area and for a town the size of Johnstone it is very worrying.

“As well as serving Johnstone this bank served our local villages, there is also the wider picture of another large empty space in the town centre as well as the potential loss of card machines.”

To support customers in the run up to the closure, RBS will be running a ‘Keeping Your Money Safe event’ in branch, which will cover building awareness of fraud and scams, education on how to spot and report scams and what to do if you fall victim.

This will also be an opportunity to speak to colleagues who will be available to answer any questions on the subject.

Those interested in attending should speak to a member of staff.

Customer support specialists will also be making proactive telephone calls to the most vulnerable customers to provide bespoke support and advice, as well as running a face-to-face event in branch for them, providing ongoing support using digital services, help identifying the nearest Post Office and advice on what services can be accessed.

A community pop-up site will also be introduced following the closure, where a local colleague will be available to support customers with face-to-face conversations around their day-to-day banking needs.

This site will also provide assistance with matters such as supporting customers with setting up and using digital services.