Parliament to debate rural bank closures

By Lucy Bower

Parliament will debate the impact of rural bank branch closures following a number of closures in areas of Wales, reports the BBC.

Two high street banks are closing rural bank branches as cost-cutting measures, and a further high street bank is going to cut the opening hours of a rural branch to one day per week. The banks claim these branches are under-used.

On the other side of the argument, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire, Roger Williams, has stepped up to fight the cause of rural branches and the communities they serve. He called for the Westminster debate when it was announced a branch in Powys would close next month.

He said: "We will be fighting tooth and nail to keep these banks in the communities they serve" and claimed the banks' behaviour is "shaky morally".

One bank closed six Welsh branches between September and December last year, bringing the total to 17 branch closures since 2009. The bank says the branches were under-used and not all of them were in rural locations. It added that one of the branch closures affected one of the "most under-used branches in the country".

Mr Williams understands the economic reasons for branch closures, but wants to highlight the role local branches play in the communities they serve.

Image © iStockPhotos / Ekspansio

Tags: bank, bank closures, rural, rural banks, Roger Williams, close, closed, closing, banks closing

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