CONWY County Councillors have expressed their concern for the town after HSBC made the decision to close its branch in the town next year.

HSBC recently announced the closure of 114 branches across the UK, with the Colwyn Bay branch set to close on August 15.

The decision has been met with criticism from Conwy’s Liberal Democrat Councillors Rhiw Trevor Scott, John Roberts and Simon Croft, who have helped launch a petition to urge the banking giant to reconsider.

They stated that given the bank’s profits of more than £2.8billion in the last quarter, they can afford to support customers with in-person services.

Another worry is that this may lead to a general decline in banking in the town, and that other banks may soon follow suit.

MORE: Conwy councillor’s mother-in-law, 87, waits 20 hours for ambulance

In a joint statement, the three councillors said: “Many people in our area rely on this bank. We are worried that Colwyn Bay could go the way of other towns in North Wales where as soon as one bank announces it is leaving the others shortly follow.

“Not everyone is able to access online banking, it is vital we protect in-person services to ensure people are not excluded from society.

“We are calling on HSBC to instead look at forming a community banking hub. This would involve multiple banks sharing the same building, ensuring that in-person services are kept long-term.

“HSBC's quarterly UK profits were more than £2.8bn in the last quarter, they can afford to support customers with in-person services."