Clwyd West Assembly Member Darren Millar has hit out at Barclay’s Bank after receiving notification from them today that they will be closing their Abergele branch before Christmas.

Darren is outraged at the proposals and has called for an urgent meeting with the Bank to discuss the proposals.

The bank plans to close on December 15th and is citing “low and falling level of transactions at the branch’ for the closure.

Darren said:

“I am disgusted by Barclay’s decision and have asked for an urgent meeting with them to discuss their proposals.

“Barclays is the last bank in the town and this is a major blow to the community coming on the heels of the closure of the HSBC last year and Yorkshire Building Society earlier this year. It is also devastating news for the loyal staff at the branch who now face uncertainty over their future.”

He added:

“Barclays are abandoning a very loyal customer base of individuals and businesses in the town which will now face significant inconvenience when trying to access banking services.

“Abergele have a large elderly population and while many elderly customers have mastered internet banking and are happy to do their banking in this way, I know there are still many who prefer traditional face-to-face banking services and will miss being able to pop into their local branch. Travelling to Rhyl or Colwyn Bay to access services will not be a viable option for some.

“I am sick of hearing of bank closures across my constituency, which do nothing to enhance the image of the banking industry.”

Letters to customers regarding this matter will be arriving with customers from today (Friday 15th September).