SIONED WILLIAMS MS, Member of Senedd for South Wales West, has secured an agreement from LINK to revisit their cash assessment review, in light of new evidence provided by Ms Williams.
LINK completed a Cash Access assessment for Pontardawe in January, following the announcement by Lloyds Bank that it would close its branch in the town before the end of the year – leaving the whole of the Swansea Valley without a physical bank.
In light of evidence submitted by Sioned Williams MS, covering the geography of the local area, facts about public transport in the valleys, feedback from residents and businesses following the public meeting Ms Williams hosted, and sharing concerns raised by The Older People’s Commissioner for Wales and Mencap Cymru about the effect of bank closures on specific groups of people, LINK has agreed to revisit their initial review.
The re-assessment is expected to take 12 weeks to complete.
Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of Senedd for South Wales West, said: “I’m glad that LINK has agreed to revisit their review of cash access assessment of Pontardawe, because the planned closure of Lloyds Bank in the town will be utterly devastating for residents and business alike.
“It’s not as easy as visiting another branch. Yes, there are banks in Neath that are just 4.4 miles away from Pontardawe – according to the LINK assessment – but anyone who knows the area will quickly realise this is only if you draw a straight line between the two towns.
“If you travel there by road it’s a good deal further, and the closure of Lloyds in Pontardawe will impact the whole of the Swansea Valley, with thousands of residents living even further away from Neath.
“Since the decision to close the bank, I’ve been busy meeting residents and local business owners to find out how the bank’s closure will impact them.
“I’ve also met with organisations such as Age Cymru, Mencap Cymru and the Older People’s Commissioner for Wales to understand the potential impact on the people they represent.
“When I wrote to LINK to appeal their assessment, I was able to use the wealth of information from everyone I’ve met with to detail the concerns with transport, the ability of alternatives cash facilities to meet the demand, and the impact on some of our most vulnerable citizens, many of whom do not and cannot use online banking.”
