Shannon Highlights the impact of latest bank closures in Downpatrick and Ballynahinch
The Ulster Bank in Downpatrick is set to close its doors in November 2024.
Will a great number of account holders using apps and logging to their accounts online, the decline of High Street banks continues.
After the Downpatrick closure, the Ulster Bank which is part of the NatWest banking group, will have only 25 branches from almost 90 in previous years across Northern Ireland. The Ballynahinch branch closed earlier this year.
Strangford MP Jim Shannon MP has highlighted “the lack of care that banks are currently taking within rural communities to establish a physical presence.”
He added: “I highlighted the Ulster Bank, which is a subsidiary of RBS, which closed its Ballynahinch branch last February, and now intends to close the neighbouring Downpatrick branch in November.
“I stated that there has been an abdication of the duty of care to rural banks which is unacceptable at a time when profits are so high?
“Legislation underlining that duty of care should be laid before the House, as the current guidelines are not providing safeguards to the general and business population.
“I know that banks are offering hubs, but only this week a constituent went to a hub to close her ‘help to lend’ account to access her mortgage.
“She went to the hub and was told that the bank will have to post you out a statement as they could not email it to her.
“The officia;l said they they can’t access it online either and they do not have a printer in the branch.
“What kind of a hub can’t carry out even the most rudimentary statement?
“I don’t think the temporary hubs discharge their duty adequately and this really must be addressed.”
