Skates to meet NatWest chief over closures

Clwyd South AM Ken Skates will meet a High Street bank boss later this month in an attempt to save two under-threat branches.

Labour Assembly Member Mr Skates has secured a meeting with NatWest’s regional director for Wales Mark Douglas after the company announced it would shut branches in Llangollen and Corwen later this year, leaving the latter without a single bank.

Mr Skates said: “As I have already said, I am desperately disappointed by this decision and it’s yet another example of a huge company putting profits before people. Let’s not forget it’s these very people who helped bail out the Royal Bank of Scotland, which owns NatWest.

“If NatWest will not budge on its plans to shut these two important branches in Clwyd South, then I will be demanding assurances over jobs and at that the mobile unit the company has promised will visit Llangollen and Corwen will do so regularly.

 

“I will aim to get the best deal possible for my constituents under the circumstances.”

Mr Skates, who is based in Llangollen, added: “This move has come as a real blow to many customers who aren’t comfortable with online banking and who can’t easily get to Wrexham in order to get the face-to-face service they have rightly come to expect.

 “It’s also a major inconvenience for many of the small and independent businesses in both of these key towns who frequently use their local branches to bank takings, so the very least NatWest can do is provide regular access to over-the-counter services for the loyal customers they have effectively turned their backs on.”

Mr Skates will meet Mr Douglas in Cardiff on June 24.