A PETITION to save a Vale of Clwyd bank branch has received 500 signatures.

It was announced in November that the HSBC branch on Vale Street would close this summer as part of a series of 144 national closures by the banking giant, leaving residents with just one bank remaining in Denbigh.

READ MORE: Petition to save Denbigh HSBC branch is set up by MS

Vale of Clwyd MS Gareth Davies has publicly criticised the decision to close the Denbigh branch and has said that "due diligence hasn't been practised or consideration given to people living in rural areas".

After the petition reached 500 signatures, Mr Davies said: "I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has signed the paper version of the petition and all of the Denbigh pubs, shops and businesses who participated in trying to save HSBC.

"I've been struck by the passion this created in the town recently as myself and many people believe that the bank hasn't considered people living in rural communities such as Denbigh, as not everyone has the ability to travel as far as Rhyl or Ruthin to carry out their financial affairs."

Mr Davies added: "I'm planning to meet the bank in the next few weeks to discuss this further, I hope the voices of local people can make some impact and encourage HSBC to change their mind and keep rural banking a reality in Denbigh.

"It's become clear to me in recent weeks that there is a strong appetite in the town to save the bank and will do all I can to make sure the voices of Denbigh people are heard loud and clear."

When making the announcement, HSBC said, over the past five years, use of the bank’s branch network by regular customers had fallen by 65 per cent.

HSBC says footfall in the vast majority - 74 per cent - of closing branches has reduced by at least 50 per cent.

The bank stated the decline in branch use has accelerated so much since the Covid-19 pandemic that some of the branches closing are now serving fewer than 250 customers a week.

Jackie Uhi, HSBC UK’s managing director of UK distribution, said: “People are changing the way they bank and footfall in many branches is at an all-time low, with no signs of it returning.

"Banking remotely is becoming the norm for the vast majority of us. Not only can we do it anywhere at any time of day or night, many more things can be done at the customers’ convenience and don’t rely on a branch visit.

“Branches will continue to play an important role in day-to-day banking, while providing specialist face-to-face support in moments that matter.

"In addition to our branch network, customers can access services through the Post Office network, our community pop-ups and soon-to-come Banking Hubs, alongside live chat, social media and through telephone banking.

“The decision to close a branch is never easy or taken lightly, especially if we are the last branch in an area, so we’ve invested heavily in our ‘post closure’ strategy, including providing free tablet devices to selected branch customers who do not already have a device to bank digitally, alongside one-to-one coaching to help them migrate to digital banking.”

The online version of the petition can still be signed via Gareth Davies' website at www.garethdavies.wales/campaigns/save-hsbc-denbigh-petition