Hundreds join fight over Caerleon bank closure (From South Wales Argus)
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Hundreds join fight over Caerleon bank closure
4:20pm Monday 23rd July 2012 in News
PETITION: Residents of Caerleon are campaigning against the closure of the HSBC branch
A CAMPAIGN to save Caerleon’s only bank from closure is mounting as hundreds of people sign a petition against the move.
Customers of the town’s HSBC branch and local politicians expressed outrage following the announcement that the bank will shut its branch in Backhall Street on November 2.
A spokesman for the branch said last week that it is currently only open for limited hours during the week and HSBC is investigating whether it will leave a cash machine following the closure. It said the branch’s two staff will move to another local branch.
HSBC had shut the next nearest branch to Caerleon, on Caerleon Road, St Julian’s, in June 2011. It closed its Blaenavon branch in May this year.
Angela Jones, who runs the Red Lion pub next door and has been a customer of the branch for 14 years, started a petition against the move on Friday, which has filled 14 pages’ worth of signatures.
Ms Jones, who is also a former city councillor, said she often has to queue in the branch which has the area’s only free cashpoint.
She said: “We are going to have to go to Cwmbran or Newport, which is not convenient at all.
“We have put the petition in local shops, the pub and bank and have had pages of signatures in support in three days.”
Comments(4)
james jackson
says...
5:30pm Mon 23 Jul 12
When they decided to close Caerleon Road, there was a huge petition, run by a local resident and signed by users of the bank, all to no avail.
The petition went to the Assembly and quite frankly, got nowhere.
It is upsetting to see the people of Caerleon wasting their time, because bank officials (no longer in the UK, with UK interests at heart, are not interested).
HSBC has closed a number of these small branches throughout Wales. It's part of its strategy and it is not interested in the "small" customer.
And while it's true that many more people are using internet banking, the banks are big enough and greedy enough, to stand any losses, regarding viability, from local branches.
People power needs to see people voting with their feet, and if it's possible, closing their accounts and going elsewhere..
NakedDancer
says...
9:15am Tue 24 Jul 12
I think the Post Office run both current and savings accounts so a better course of action would be for Caerleon residents to vote with their feet - move their accounts to the Post Office and support the local Caerleon Post Office along the way.
james jackson
says...
9:47am Tue 24 Jul 12
Post offices are the heart of the community and have been attacked by successive governments. Let's show solidarity and support them instead of feckless banks.
sperduti says...
5:21pm Mon 23 Jul 12