Machynlleth's Barclays bank to shut after fall in use

The last bank in a Powys town is to close because of a fall in counter transactions in the past two years.

Barclays said its Machynlleth branch would shut on 21 September because only 110 customers now use it exclusively for banking.

It said transactions fell by 1,761 (8%) since 2015 as more people were using online, telephone and mobile services.

Barclays said customers could instead use branches in Tywyn and Dolgellau or the town's Post Office.

That would see customers travelling 12 miles (19km) and 16 miles (25km) respectively, to get to alternative branches.

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Ramona Enfield, Barclays' community banking director for north Wales, said it had not taken the "difficult" decision to close the branch lightly.

She said concerned customers could contact staff to discuss alternative options and said it would host sessions on how to use digital banking systems.

The branch was the last bank with a physical presence in the town, following the earlier closures of HSBC and NatWest.

Russell George, Conservative AM for Montgomeryshire, tweeted: "Disappointed at Barclays' decision to close its branch in Machynlleth, especially as this will mean that the town will now be without any bank.

"This decision quickly follows their decision to close the only remaining high street bank in Llanidloes."