Banking chain TSB is to open several pop-up banks across the north following a number of branch closures over the last year.
TSB announced in 2020 it would be closing a number of its branches, including on Great Western Road in Aberdeen, Huntly, Nairn and Wick.
A total of 17 banks are to be closed across the north-east and the Highlands over the course of this year.
The decision by TSB sparked widespread criticism, with bosses accused of putting staff and elderly customers in an “appalling situation”.
However, the chain has now announced it plans to open dozens of pop-up banks across the UK, including seven in the north.
Two will open in Aberdeen, including one in Mannofield Church – just yards from the closed branch.
Others will be created in Wick, Grantown on Spey, Huntly, Alford and Aboyne.
Liam Kerr, the Conservative candidate for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine who campaigned against the closures, urged TSB to ensure the pop-up is not a temporary measure.
“The decision to close the TSB branch in Mannofield felt like a door being slammed in the face to loyal customers who relied on help with banking services,” he said.
“However, I welcome this decision to open a pop-up service at Mannofield Church which is something I was calling for as a compromise.
“The church is an ideal location for something like this and it’s now vital TSB properly communicates this opening to customers so they know it’s available to them.
“I will also be feeding this back to residents and making sure TSB see this as a permanent service and not a temporary one.
“We have a large number of elderly residents in Mannofield who rely on face-to-face contact for services such as banking which can be hugely beneficial in helping to combat loneliness and isolation.
“Banking remains an important need for the community during times of so much uncertainty and I look forward to seeing the service in action at Mannofield Church.”
Stephen Flynn, the SNP MP for Aberdeen South, called on TSB to introduce more pop-up branches in other communities across the region.
“The decision by TSB to close a number of branches across the city was rightly met with frustration and disappointment by my constituents who rely on a face-to-face service,” he said.
“This move to introduce a pop-up weekly service outside Mannofield Church is of course better than no local service at all – and I hope that TSB will now look to introduce this for my constituents in Culter, Torry and Kincorth too.”
TSB’s director of branch banking Carol Anderson said: “Although we’ve seen a significant rise in customers using digital banking, we know accessing banking services and cash remains important to many customers and we’re always looking for innovative and inclusive ways to help them.
“The pop-up service will support our customers in parts of the country where it takes longer to get to a branch. The pop-ups and future access to cash pilot will test demand for these types of services, giving us insight on what more we can do for customers in the future.”