THE PLANNED closure of the HSBC bank in Colwyn Bay has been put on hold, after the banking giant’s closures underwent an independent assessment.
Last November, HSBC announced that it would be closing 114 branches in 2023, including the Colwyn Bay branch.
The bank stated that the closures are down to “a reduction in footfall in most of the branches by more than 50 per cent”.
The Colwyn Bay branch was set to close on August 15, but a letter sent to Clwyd West MS Darren Millar stated that these plans have been paused.
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The letter states: “All our closures have now been independently assessed by LINK, who have recommended a deposit service in Colwyn Bay.
“As a result of this recommendation, I wanted to let you know that the closure of Colwyn Bay branch will be paused until such a solution is in place.
“This means the branch will no longer close on 15 August 2023 as previously communicated.
“We have informed our colleagues and will be writing to regular users of Colwyn Bay branch on 24 April 2023 to advise them of the change, and provide more information about the closure and the alternative services available to them.”
Mr Millar welcomed the news that customers will have access to HSBC services for longer, and said: “Whilst I am disappointed that the closure of this branch will still be taking place, I am pleased that it will not be as soon as August, as was originally planned.
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“At least customers will have a while longer to access HSBC services in Colwyn Bay.
“When HSBC announced its intentions to close the Colwyn Bay branch before Christmas, I wrote to the bank highlighting my concerns regarding the impact this will have on residents and businesses.
“The closest branch is over seven miles away to Llandudno, which is quite a distance for people, particularly the elderly, to travel, if they want to see someone face-to-face.”
Mr Millar also outlined ways that HSBC customers could benefit from the bank’s services before the closure. He added: “HSBC have said that until a new closure is confirmed, the team in branch will be available to offer financial education, support with digital banking and fraud awareness, and explain alternative ways of banking, and will be proactively contacting customers who may have difficulty accessing these, with the offer of a one-to-one appointment.
“Support will also be given through the HSBC@Home programme, and they will be able to provide vulnerable customers with free tablets to help them access the bank’s digital services.
“They are also trialling their Community Cash Pods this year, which will ensure that customers can access cash facilities, both to withdraw and deposit, where there is no HSBC branch presence and I am pleased to hear that they would like to use Colwyn Bay as one of their test locations.
“I encourage customers to take up these offers as sadly, despite objections from customers, myself and others, HSBC seem set on forging ahead with the closure of this branch.”
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