Access to cash services
I’m extremely angry that Pontardawe will be left without a bank following Lloyds decision to close their branch in November 2025. This is my local bank and I know how well used it is! The closure will leave a huge gap in the whole Swansea Valley.
I know a physical bank is needed by local businesses and residents – many of whom don’t bank online. Ensuring that we retain the ability to transact with cash in our communities is a matter of fairness and inclusion.
For example as chair of the Cross-Party Group in the Senedd on Learning Disabilities, I’ve been backing Mencap’s campaign to ensure people can use cash to pay for goods and services. I’ve heard from many people across Wales who are not able to manage online banking, or use debit or credit cards, but they certainly have the capacity to use cash, and this is an important part of their independence.
For small businesses to be able to accept cash, they need a place nearby to deposit it. Banks therefore mean more to a community that just a place that handles their money – they enable the flow of cash through a community.
