‘It’s a baffling decision’
NATWEST last month shut its branch in the busy town of Harpenden in Hertfordshire, to the surprise of customers.
The branch serves a population of around 42,000 in the town and surrounding area.
But NatWest, which is owned by RBS, said the outlet has just 45 regular weekly visitors.
Derek French, a former campaigner against unnecessary branch closures who lives nearby, said: ‘It’s a baffling decision and the figures they quote are totally misleading.
‘People here have voted with their feet and signed up with other banks instead.’ Mr French added that the decision struck him as a bad business move as well as damaging to customers.
Local Tory MP Bim Afolami, MP, had written to RBS boss Ross McEwan urging him to rethink the closure. His letter said: ‘This decision troubles me because of the number of thriving small and mediumsized businesses based here.
‘Despite the shift towards online banking for personal current accounts, small and medium enterprises continue to rely on banking in branch.’