HSBC will send officials to face questions over branch closures

Campaigner Simon Baynes met with representatives from HSBC, who have agreed to attend Chirk Town Council and Ruabon Community Council meetings tomorrow, after it declared earlier this month it was pulling out of its branches in Chirk and Ruabon in April.

These are the last banks in both communities and will close on April 8.

Accounts will be transferred to Wrexham, which is a 22-mile round trip from Chirk and 10-mile round trip from Ruabon.

Mr Baynes, the Welsh Conservative Assembly candidate for Clwyd South, met with HSBC last week when they agreed to attend the council meetings to discuss the branch closures. The meeting with HSBC was also attended by Chirk South councillor Terry Evans and Penycae and Ruabon South councillor Joan Lowe where the level of concern from the two communities about the closures was strongly stressed.

HSBC has closed a series of branches in Shropshire and Mid Wales in recent years. Branches in Whitchurch and Market Drayton closed earlier this month, and the HSBC at Harlescott in the north of Shrewsbury shut for the last time on Friday.

Last year the bank pulled out of Church Stretton, while in 2012 it closed its branches in Ellesmere and Craven Arms. A number of banks have been closing branches in small towns and villages in recent years, and in many instances just one of the banking giants has kept a branch open.

Mr Baynes said: "I am pleased that HSBC immediately agreed to attend the Chirk Town Council and Ruabon Community Council meetings, hopefully on Wednesday.

"In a difficult situation like this, it is extremely important that local residents and businesses have as much opportunity as possible to express their concerns and ask questions. HSBC now has the 30 key questions about the branch closures which were raised at the two recent public meetings."

To raise concerns or for further information email HSBC representative Martin Lyons at martinlyons@hsbc.com or call Mr Baynes on 078807 86573.