Anger over bank plans to shut 10 of its branches

TEN NatWest branches in South Wales will shut next year as part of a wider series of closures that unions claim could signal the end of face to face banking.

The move, announced yesterday by Royal Bank of Scotland, will see a quarter of its UK network of RBS and Natwest branches shutting, with the loss of nearly 700 jobs.

The NatWest branches in South Wales – including four in Cardiff – that will shut, and the dates they will close, are: Porthcawl – May 17; Whitchurch – May 17; Llandaff – May 21; Treforest Estate – May 24; University Hospital of Wales – May 30; Cowbridge – June 4; Maesteg – June 13; Pencoed – June 18; Rumney – June 21; and, Talbot Green – June 25. The move was condemned by politicians.

In a joint statement Ogmore MP Chris Elmore and Ogmore AM Huw IrrancaDavies said: “This decision shows a neglect for communities across Wales in that it will force customers to travel many miles to access local services. It is simply unacceptable.”

Pontypridd Assembly Member Mick Antoniw said: “It is outrageous that local banks can be closed without any consultation with local communities and I believe we have now reached the point where the UK Government must introduce appropriate regulations to ensure customers who choose to carry out their business in person at their local bank are able to do so.”

The bank is the third this week to announce branch closures and job cuts, following Lloyds and Yorkshire Building Society.

Justifying the move, the lender said more people are choosing to bank online or on mobile.

An RBS spokesman said: “More and more of our customers are choosing to do their everyday banking online or on mobile.

“Since 2014 the number of customers using our branches across the UK has fallen by 40% and mobile transactions have increased by 73% over the same period.

“Over five million customers now use our mobile banking app and one in five only bank with us digitally.”

However, union Unite described the move as a “betrayal” and attacked the Government for allowing the closures to proceed.

The union’s national officer Rob MacGregor also said the move could effectively signal the end of banking in branches.

He added: “The Royal Bank of Scotland has decided to decimate its bank branch network.

“Now serious questions need to be asked about whether these closures mark the end of branch network banking.

“This announcement will forever change the face of banking in this country resulting in over a thousand staff losing their jobs and hundreds of high streets without any banking facilities.

“Why is the Government signing off this alarming branch closure programme?”

RBS insisted it was providing customers with “more ways to bank than ever before”.