A ribbon-cutting ceremony has been held to officially open Cowdenbeath’s Banking Hub on the High Street.

Labour’s Melanie Ward MP had the honour of opening the new site, alongside representatives from Post Office, Cash Access UK, banking partners and local community representatives on Friday.

The Cowdenbeath & Kirkcaldy MP said she was really pleased to see the work completed in the new hub and added her congratulations to Cash Access UK and the Post Office for their work to establish the “valuable facility for the community.”

Listen below to her comments during the opening:

Cowdenbeath’s Postmaster, Hithendra Cheetirala, who runs the new Banking Hub, told us he was excited by the launch and is so appreciative of the welcome from local people and businesses.

Councillor Darren Watt, who was also at the opening event with Cllr Alex Campbell and Cllr Alistair Bain, said he was glad to see a former empty shop unit brought back to life, with the new hub launching in the former TSB building which had lay empty for several years.

The Cowdenbeath Banking Hub operates from 9am until 5pm, Monday to Friday and offers a range of High St banking options from several major banks. Customer can pay-in or withdraw cash, pay bills, pay-in cheques and conduct other basic banking services daily, with individual banks having additional face-to-face services on set days too (outlined below).

There is also a new 24/7 ATM outside the with free on-street parking right outside.

Cash Access UK have now opened nearly 180 Banking Hubs across the UK, with 30 opened so far in Scotland. These are located in places where traditional High Street banks have closed, which risked access to banking services for residents and businesses. The hubs are operated by Post Office staff, so customers can be assured of a professional and courteous service when using the banking hub.