SIONED WILLIAMS MS has condemned the decision to close the NatWest branch in Neath, calling it a “scandal” that banks are not required to provide services to loyal communities.
The Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for South Wales West, whose office is just 500 feet from the town centre branch, said she had written to NatWest urging them to reconsider the move.
The branch is due to close on 13 October 2025.
Speaking to The Herald, Ms Williams said: “I have today written to NatWest to express my concern at the impact of their decision to close the Neath branch, and asked them to rethink it.
“This is the latest in an ongoing trend of high street banks abandoning their physical premises and leaving individuals and businesses without access to in-person services.
“High street banks are quick to advertise themselves as being at the heart of the community and happy to profit from that, but are quick to forget the responsibility that comes with that position.
“I think it’s a scandal that banks which make huge profits are not obliged to provide services to the communities that have been their faithful customers for decades.”
The Neath branch closure follows the loss of Barclays in 2024. Lloyds Bank remains, but its branch now serves a wide area including the Neath, Dulais and Swansea Valleys.
Ms Williams added: “The gap left by these closures is more than just empty shopfronts. Access to cash in our communities is a matter of fairness and inclusion.
“This will be a blow to local businesses in Neath who use NatWest and are trying so hard to keep the town centre vibrant, as well as to customers who want and need local, in-person banking services.”
According to the LINK assessment of the Neath closure, no additional cash services are planned, with officials citing the presence of other banks, a post office, building society and ATMs in the town.
NatWest lists the closure publicly on its website.
