“DESPAIRING” bank users are “extremely disappointed” after another major banking corporation announced it was closing a Meirionnydd branch.

Barclays have confirmed its Bala branch will close on 23 March next year, with three jobs being lost from the local area.

The news comes just a few days after NatWest declared it was withdrawing its services from Dolgellau.

Barclays cited declining customer usage as the reason for its decision to close the branch but local politicians have stated their dismay at the bank’s proposed action, especially since a significant percentage of local residents have no access to online banking.

Bala mayor Dorothi Evans told the Cambrian News she hopes Barclays will change their mind.

“I am concerned about the decision made by Barclays to cease providing their service here in Bala from March 2018,” she said.

“Local people are extremely worried and, as many do not have access to the modern way of banking and many of the residents are elderly, they would have to travel to Dolgellau.

“People are commenting that the bank has not considered the valuables service they provide.

“It is also hard to understand the decision when Bala is considered to be a thriving town with tourism and agriculture being two important employers in the area.

“I sincerely hope that there is time to get the bank to reconsider and accept that their service is of paramount importance to rural areas.”

Lis Puw, Bala council clerk, was similarly upset.

“It is indeed extremely disappointing news, particularly for people who do not have access to internet banking,” she added.

“A number of people have already expressed their despair to me. It is indicative of how services are being withdrawn from rural areas.

Fortunately, HSBC branch and the Post Office with their wonderful staff are still open in Bala.”

Dwyfor Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts was worried the bank’s withdrawal would hurt the area’s “most vulnerable”.

“Closing the Barclays bank in Bala will be a blow for customers and for the town centre,” said the Plaid Cymru MP.

“It’s not good enough for banks to continually advise that all customers should move onto online banking because we all know that not everybody has access to a reliable internet connection, particularly so in rural areas like parts of Dwyfor and Meirionnydd where reliable digital connectivity is a problem.

“Banks have a social responsibility to serve our communities but sadly this picture is the same across north Wales, and the collapse in local banking will again hurt the most vulnerable.”

When questioned about the decision Raj Dhaliwal, Barclays community banking director for north Wales, said: “The way customers undertake their banking is changing as people increasingly use online, telephone and mobile devices.

“At Barclays Bala branch, customer usage has continued to decline – 14 per cent in the last 24 months – which is why we have taken the difficult decision to close it.

“We hope that the availability of our other Barclays branches at Dolgellau and Llangollen and access to banking services at the local Post Office currently located at 50 High Street, Bala along with our range of digital channels, will help to ease the transition for our customers.

“There are currently three members of staff allocated to Bala branch who will be offered voluntary redundancy or transfer to another branch.”