ANOTHER town is to lose its last bank, leaving 8,000 people without access to local banking services.

Ystradgynlais’ last remaining bank was Lloyds Bank - but it has has revealed that the bank will close later this year.

Lloyd’s has said that there has been a decrease in the number of people using the branch, stating that there has been a 67 per cent decrease in transactions made by personal customers in the bank compared to 2017.

There are 93 customers who regularly use the branch and 47 per cent of customers using the Ystradgynlais branch have used other Lloyd’s branches, and 74 per cent have also used online or telephone banking.

The date for the closure of the bank is September 19.

Mid and West Wales MS Jane Dodds has urged to bank to reconsider the closure. She said: “This decision will see yet another Powys town left without a bank.

"This time it isn’t even one of our smaller villages but the second largest town in the entire county with a population of over 8,000.

“This trend cannot continue. Banks need to recognise they have a duty to provide in-person services. Not everyone uses online banking, particularly in rural areas like Powys.

“I will be requesting a meeting with Lloyds Bank urgently to make my views known and raise the concerns of my constituents.”

When the bank closes, there will be a ‘community banker’ visiting the town for a short period of time. This will mean there will be a dedicated office space for customers to be able to have a private chat by popping into the venue where they will be.

The community banker will help with how customers can continue to bank with Lloyds and help with account queries for both personal and business customers.

The nearest Lloyd’s banks to Ystradgynlais are Pontardawe and Neath. Both branches have a cashpoint outside the branch, level or ramp access to the branch, self-service zone or machines and counter service.

The Pontardawe branch has a talking cashpoint but does not have a cashpoint inside the branch. The Neath branch has a cashpoint inside the branch but does not have a talking cashpoint.