The Scottish Government has been urged to scrap business rate rules which could force the closure of one of the few cash machines left in a Moray town.
The ATM outside Buckley’s newsagent in Lossiemouth is one of only three in the popular seaside spot, which is expecting its population of almost 7,000 to rocket with the upcoming expansion of the town’s RAF base.
But regulations mean that the owner is forced to pay more tax for keeping it on the street, and he fears it may have to be removed due to the financial strain of increased payments.
Moray MP Douglas Ross has now urged finance minister, Derek Mackay, to personally intervene to ensure it can remain a part of the community.
He said: “The fact it is outside rather than in the shop means it is readily accessible, but this also seems to be why the government is imposing increased rates.
“I am writing to the finance minister Derek Mackay to urge a rethink.”
Mr Ross visited the Queen Street store yesterday alongside Heldon and Laich councillor, James Allan, to speak with affected residents.
The Conservative politician said: “The ATM at Buckley’s is being provided by the shop owner to serve the community.
“But these business rates are threatening its continued existence, and local constituents have contacted James and myself to raise their concerns.”
It is understood that the imposition of higher non-domestic rates on businesses which operate bank machines on the outside of a building is a rule which is not applied consistently throughout Scotland.
A source told the Press and Journal: “In England and Wales no additional rates whatsoever are imposed for this service.
“The town only has two other bank machines, at the Co-op and the Bank of Scotland.
“And the Bank of Scotland one often runs out of money on the weekends.”
The town suffered the loss of an ATM when its Royal Bank of Scotland was shut in September 2015.
Meanwhile, Aberlour lost its only hole-in-the-wall facility when the Speyside village’s Clydesdale branch closed down last May.
Frustrated residents had their misery compounded when they found the nearest alternative, at Rothes, frequently ran out of notes.
Yarn shop owner, Sarah Nairn Anderson, came to the rescue in September when she announced that she would relocate her Three Bags of Wool store into the old Clydesdale building and bring its cash machine back into use.
She hopes to open the new shop next month.
Mr Allan, who is also the convener of Moray Council, is desperate for his hometown of Lossiemouth to avoid a similar fate.
He suggested that the loss of the ATM would deprive locals of a “basic human right”.
The councillor added: “We do not wish to lose services like this in Lossiemouth.
“Having an ATM at this location is very convenient for residents, particularly if the other machines are out of cash or not working – which is sometimes the case.
“Access to cash is a basic human right.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said the shop owner had the right to challenge the rating placed on his property.
She said: ““We are committed to supporting business and growing Scotland’s economy. “We recently accepted the vast majority of the recommendations of the Barclay review of non-domestic rates, going beyond Barclay with additional pro-growth measures in a package widely welcomed by business.
“If a ratepayer disagrees with the assessor’s independent valuation of their property they have the right to challenge this.
“We offer will rates reliefs worth £720 million next year, which will remove the rates burden entirely for 100,000 commercial premises across Scotland.”
