NatWest’s proposed mobile banking arrangements for Cardigan following the imminent closure of the town branch has been slammed.

A mobile banking service will be present at Cardigan every Thursday from May 17 for 45 minutes , along with the services of a ‘community banker’ and a designated ‘TechXpert’ official.

The branch in Cardigan’s High Street is set to close on Wednesday, May 30. The branch at Lampeter has also been earmarked for closure.

Elin Jones, Assembly Member for Ceredigion said: “The offer made by NatWest of a weekly 45-minute slot for banking at Cardigan and Lampeter is nothing short of an insult to the loyal customers of NatWest, who in many instances have banked with their local branch for generations.

“The mere 45-minute window is significantly shorter than the service currently provided in nearby towns such as Newcastle Emlyn, and I have already had several constituents raise concerns as to the privacy and capacity of services available at such mobile banks.”

Ceredigion MP Ben Lake recently introduced a Ten Minute-Rule bill at Westminster to prevent the downgrading of banking services in rural communities.

He said: “Both Elin Jones AM and myself have been clear from the start that we feel the closure of the branches in Cardigan and Lampeter is unnecessary, and this most recent announcement by NatWest adds further insult to injury.

“Such a weekly skeleton service is unlikely to cater for the banking needs of most of the users in these communities, who must face a significant journey to either Aberystwyth or Carmarthen – particularly inaccessible for both small businesses and elderly customers.”

The pair have since written to Jon Cooper, managing director of NatWest for South West & Wales region, expressing their concerns at such service, but NatWest has indicated that they will be continuing with the proposed arrangements.