Mid Wales campaigners call for NatWest to reconsider closures
Politicians and residents have called on banking giant NatWest to reconsider closing its Mid Wales branches later this year.
The bank announced this week that it would be closing its Welshpool branch on September 27, its Builth Wells branch on October 10 and its Machynlleth branch on October 12.
News of the closures have been met with strong opposition from the local community, with Russell George, assembly member for Montgomeryshire, today calling the news a "big blow" for the region.
He said: "This is another big blow for Montgomeryshire and follows a series of bank closures in recent years - from Montgomery and Llanidloes to Llanfair Caereinion and Machynlleth.
"While the decision to maintain a branch is ultimately a commercial decision for the banks, when I meet with NatWest bosses, I will be forcefully making the point that mobile or online banking doesn't always replace permanent over the counter facilities, especially given the fact that the quality and reliability of mobile coverage and broadband speeds in parts of Montgomeryshire is still poor or non-existent.
"Until an alternative solution is in place which is satisfactory to communities in Mid Wales, I urge NatWest to defer its decision to close its branches in Welshpool and Machynlleth."
Mayor of Welshpool, Councillor Steve Kaye said the news was "big shame" for Welshpool's high street but understood the bank's decision.
He said: "It is a big shame for our town and our main street because it's going to be a big building stood empty when it closes, and it'll be difficult for those who use the bank on a regular basis but I'm afraid it's the way of the world now and if online banking is taking over, this is what's going to happen.
"The aspects that worry me the most are what will happen to the banks' employees but also this will be yet another carbuncle in Welshpool, we're already concerned about the council offices in Welshpool if Powys County Council decides to leave the town but this will be a carbuncle right in the main street. Welshpool Town Council doesn't like empty buildings in the town centre, so we will do everything we can to try and attract another business to the building."
Local campaigners in Welshpool have now started up petition calling for NatWest to reconsider its decision to close the branch.
Sean Palmer, a spokesman for NatWest, said the decision to pull out of the branches had been "difficult" for the firm.
He said: "Since 2011 we have seen the number of transactions in the Welshpool branch decline by 22 per cent, in the Builth Wells branch decline by 39 per cent and in the Machynlleth branch decline by 13 per cent.
"These customers are actively choosing to bank in different ways, with 55.9 per cent of customers in our Welshpool branch of customers choosing to use our digital banking options. This figure is 50 per cent for our Builth Wells branch and 48.1 per cent in Machynlleth.
"We are communicating with our customers affected by the closures and proactively contacting vulnerable and regular branch customers.
"We have listened closely to feedback from local communities and have extended the time between announcing our decision and the branch closures to six months. This has been done in order to ensure our customers have time to consider the right banking options for them."
NatWest say the nearest branch to Welshpool is Newtown, 13.5 miles away, while the nearest branch to Machynlleth is Dolgellau 16.1 miles away and for Builth Wells, Brecon which is 16.5 miles away.
