ABERGELE’S town centre has suffered another blow with the closure of a banking agency.
The Halifax agency in Market Street, Abergele is to close in October, a move described by Cllr Malcolm Meldicott, the town’s Mayor, as “another nail in the coffin for the town centre”.
The Mayor, who is a customer of the Halifax, said: “It will be hard for more elderly customers. As you get older it’s more of a hassle to travel distances, and when you go to a branch elsewhere you’re just a number.”
Cllr Meldicott said the staff provided a fine service and that customers would have to go either to Rhyl or Colwyn Bay.
He said yet another empty shop front in the town centre was a bitter pill to swallow and probably meant the building staying vacant for some time.
Independent agencies, such as the outlet in Abergele, are operated by third-party businesses and do not always provide all of the services that are available in bigger banking branches.
However, wheelchair-bound Catherine Meredith who suffers from multiple sclerosis, said that the inconvenience of the closure of the Abergele agency would be “dreadful”.
Mrs Meredith, 52, praised the accommodating staff at the agency, but said she was concerned about the effect the closure would have on less able-bodied customers.
Mrs Meredith, who serves on the MS Cymru council, said: “I couldn’t fault them at all. They would help me into the shop. I just had to knock on the window and they rushed out with a little ramp.
“I’m annoyed that the company are going to close it down without thinking of the town.”
Darren Millar, AM for Clwyd West, said this was yet another blow to local high streets.
He said: “Abergele and Ruthin have been hit hard by the economic downturn and both have seen shops close over the past 12 months.”
A spokesperson for Halifax said independent agencies were no longer part of their business model.
“We do understand that location is important - and under a new arrangement Halifax customers can now also access a wide range of services at the Post Office.”