Local Assembly Member Joyce Watson has sought assurances for the future of staff at Santander’s closing Pembroke branch.

The Main Street branch in Pembroke is scheduled to close on May 9 it was announced this week.

Mrs. Watson said: “This is a bitter blow for Pembroke, and for our high streets.

“In towns like Pembroke banks serve a vital function. This planned closure will impact heavily, particularly for older and vulnerable people who have difficulty using online services, and in light of previous bank closures.

“I am seeking assurances about the training, welfare and support being offered to the branch’s staff.

“Santander have said that they hope to find new roles for a third of workers in this round of closures, but I worry that employees in branches where relocation is less likely will be most at risk of redundancy,” she added.

The bank says that the planned closures are in response to customers’ increasing use of online and telephone banking services. Pembroke is one of six Santander branches in Wales and 140 branches across the UK set to close.

The other Welsh branches are Ammanford, Penarth, Tonypandy, Llangefni and Monmouth.

Other high street banks have also closed branches in recent times. Consumer group Which? say that over 3,100 branches have closed or are planned to close since 2015, at a rate of more than 60 a month.

Commenting on the decision that Santander will close branches in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, Eluned Morgan AM said:

“I am very disappointed to hear that Santander has taken the decision to close their branches in Pembroke and Ammanford. Whilst I recognise the way customers interact and manage their finances is changing, the overall impact of bank closures in West Wales means we have an increasingly fragmented banking infrastructure and the impact on our rural towns cannot be underestimated.”

“I will be asking the Welsh Government to look into the impacts of bank closures to our high streets and to the wider community at a time when there is great economic and financial uncertainty.”