Two AMs in HSBC branch closure talks

Two Assembly Members will team up in a bid to get ‘the best deal possible’ for furious bank customers after HSBC announced plans to close its last two branches in the area.

Aled Roberts (pictured left) and Ken Skates will meet company representatives tomorrow (Friday) to put forward the case for keeping Chirk and Ruabon open.

Mr Roberts, Lib Dem AM for North Wales, thanked HSBC senior management for agreeing to attend the meeting, but added: “We are faced with there being only one bank left in Clwyd South if these closures go ahead. I have been an HSBC customer since I was 16 and only a few years ago they transferred my account to Ruabon when they closed their Rhos branch.

“People quite rightly question the social responsibility of those banks making large profits whose decisions mean their local customers will have to travel to the Wrexham branch, which is already extremely busy.”

Mr Skates, the Labour AM for Clwyd South, (pictured right) said: “HSBC has once again treated their customers and my constituents with complete contempt.

“This is another huge slap in the face for people in Clwyd South. Within the last few years, HSBC has closed branches in Cefn Mawr, Corwen, Rhos and Llangollen, and now it wants to close the last two we have. Ruabon is my local branch, so I completely understand how angry people are.”

Mr Skates added: “I’d like to thank Aled for inviting me to the meeting, and I hope that by working together we can put forward an even stronger case. We know from bitter experience that it’s almost impossible to get banks to change their minds, but we will be pushing to get the best deal possible for our communities.”