A public meeting, hosted by Russell George AM, at Welshpool Town Hall on Monday (3rd April) has resulted in unanimous calls for NatWest bank to urgently reconsider its decision to close its branch in the town.
The Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire, Russell George AM, arranged the public meeting to gather the views of local residents and to discuss the ramifications of the proposed closure which is scheduled for 27th September.
Following the public meeting, Mr George said:
“Everyone at the public meeting were unanimous in their view that we should do everything we can to change the decision of NatWest to close the doors of its branch in Welshpool.
“While it was regrettable that a member of the bank’s management declined to attend the public meeting, I will now be well positioned ahead of my meeting with the regional manager later this month.
Mr George also had the opportunity to raise the branch closure with the First Minister in the National Assembly for Wales, once again calling for a new community banking model which would preserve the presence of banks on Powys’ high streets.
Following the First Minister’s encouraging response at his weekly questions on Tuesday (5th April), Mr George added:
“I am delighted that the First Minister acknowledged the serious situation which communities face when it comes to the loss of their banking services and has agreed to take up my calls to facilitate a discussion with the banks, the regulators and other partners to explore a new community banking model which would see banks share premises and services.
“As I have said previously, the transfer of banking services to the post office and mobile or online banking doesn’t always replace permanent over the counter facilities, especially for those who are elderly or disabled. I hope that the Welsh Government is now able to exert some pressure to ensure that an adequate alternative solution is found before any permanent closure takes place.”
Ruth Canning and Des Parkinson, who have set up a petition in opposition to the proposed branch closure attended the meeting.
Mr Parkinson said:
“The verdict from the meeting was crystal clear. The bank must now be implored to take into account the overwhelming public support for the branch to remain open and respect the views of its loyal customers who have been shell shocked by this decision, which was made without any public consultation.”
Ruth Canning who is leading the petition along with Des Parkinson added:
“I’m grateful to Russell for hastily convening this public meeting to support the residents of Welshpool who do not want to see the NatWest branch disappear altogether. I sincerely hope that his efforts to bring all the interested parties to the table to find an alternative solution to closure will reap rewards and that we will see NatWest reconsider its decision to close the Welshpool branch.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
For a copy of the petition or to indicate your support for Ruth Canning’s and Des Parkinson’s campaign to Save NatWest in Welshpool, please email: [email protected] or phone 01938 559608.
Please find below a copy of the Record of Proceedings from First Minister’s Questions on 4th April 2017.
Russell George:
First Minister, the NatWest bank, in the last 12 days, has also announced the closure of the Welshpool and Machynlleth branch in my constituency—two very major towns, of course, there, as well. As Hefin David has alluded to, they’ve done so without any public consultation whatsoever. Now, a public meeting was held last night in Welshpool in this regard, and the post office, as you have mentioned, was also discussed as a potential, but a lot of the issues there revolve around privacy and disability access. Is there actually capacity at the post offices, as well, in some particular locations? Now, as you said, I understand absolutely that this is, of course, an issue, ultimately, for the bank—it’s a commercial decision. I have previously raised—and had a fairly positive response from Ministers when calling for the Government to facilitate a discussion with the banks and the Financial Conduct Authority and other partners to explore a community banking model that would see banks share services. I wonder whether this would be something that you’d be willing to explore in more detail.
Carwyn Jones (First Minister)
I will consider that. I’ll ask the Minister to write to the Member with regard to the proposals that he has made. What we don’t want to see is a loss of banking services completely in communities, and there is a danger that, where banks—particularly when they do this very quickly—decide to shut branches, sufficient provision isn’t made in the post offices—that they don’t leave a cash machine, for example, in a community, so people can’t get cash. I know that in Crickhowell, recently, one of the branches closed, but the ATM has remained, which provides some service for local people, although not all services. So, I will ask the Minister to write to the Member in that regard, particularly with regard to the suggestion he makes on community banking.