ANGER and disappointment were expressed at a public meeting held at Cardigan Guildhall over the proposed closure of the NatWest bank in the town.

The meeting, arranged by FUW Ceredigion and Plaid Cymru Ceredigion, brought together local residents and business owners to discuss NatWest’s decision to close its High Street branch later this year.

Around 60 people turned out to discuss what the future holds for banking services in the town and surrounding rural communities.

Problems with transport to Carmarthen and Aberystwyth to access banking services, a lack of a reliable broadband service and people reluctant to bank on-line over cyber-security fears and the loss of local jobs were all raised.

The issue of landmark buildings standing empty once banks pulled out of a town was also highlighted, along with the problems local groups and organisations would face, as well as businesses and individual customers.

Mared Jones, from FUW Ceredigion, said: “It seems as though they are targeting those who live in rural areas and we are being punished for living here. They are closing banks in cities but there is often another branch down the road and the transport links are much better.”

Ceredigion MP Ben Lake told the meeting that the issue had been discussed in Westminster and MPs from across all parties were angry about the decision.

He said: “This has an impact across the whole of the UK, not just Ceredigion but it is clear the Prime Minister does not want to intervene. RBS (owner of NatWest) may be owned by the tax-payer but the government see this as a commercial decision made by a private company.”

He said pressure was still being applied on both NatWest and government but it was clear following a meeting with bank officials that they intended to close branches in both Cardigan and Lampeter.

NatWest is offering to send a mobile bank to the town for a 45 minute weekly visit but Assembly member Elin Jones said that ‘is more of an insult than of value’.

She said: “There are other banks still here and we need from this meeting to ask those banks if they are committed to staying. If they make a public statement to stay here then perhaps NatWest customers could move to them and give NatWest a kick.”

One possible solution put forward was to centralise the town’s banking services whereby the banks would co-operate and provide services in one town centre hub.

The idea of a Bank of Wales was also put forward but Elin Jones said this was primarily being aimed to supporting businesses rather than consumers but was something that needed to be examined as a matter of urgency.

Mr Lake also said he was looking at what banking services the Post Office could offer.

“There are restrictions and limitations but we may have to look at this in the future,” he said. “It is not ideal at the moment but we need to consider all options.

“It is important to get the banks together to see if there is an appetite for co-location

A petition against the closure has been launched and was circulated at the meeting. An on-line version can be found at www.elinjones.cymru/natwestbank.