Warning To Scottish High Streets

FSB predicts testing future for Mid-Scotland and Fife High Streets.

The Federation of Small Businesses is concerned at the changing makeup of Scottish High streets and the potential impact to local retailers and efforts to rejuvenate town centres.
 
The FSB have compiled a list of 100 towns across Scotland that are facing the removal of either Bank branches, crown post offices, police public counters, HMRC enquiry centres or sheriff courts.
 
In Mid-Scotland and Fife, the towns affected include Blairgowrie, Auchterarder, Crieff, Kinross, Bridge of Allan, Dunfermline, Cardenden, Glenrothes, Kirkcaldy, Oakley, Cupar and Burntisland.
 
Colin Borland, the FSB's head of external affairs said:

"The public servants tasked with turning our high streets around are being undermined by their colleagues in other bodies looking to rationalise their estate. Similarly, banks will not improve relations with small businesses by closing branches."
 
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
 
"High Streets up and down the country are facing serious challenges. As consumer habits change small businesses will need to adapt in order to survive.
 
"The removal of public counters, sheriff courts and other high street staples will only decrease the allure of businesses setting up shop and consumers using the high street.
 
"In Perthshire a number of small towns are facing the removal of either police public counters or bank branches, both of which could have a disastrous impact on high street footfall.
 
"An ever increasing amount of banking is now conducted online, however for those residents without online banking or communities without reliable internet connections this move will prove problematic. If banks are to retain the trust of consumers, keeping branches open will be crucial to this."