I was extremely disappointed with today’s (1 December 2016) news that the Royal Bank of Scotland have made the decision to close the Natwest branch on Rochester High Street.
While I appreciate that our banking needs are changing and more and more on technology in all aspects of their life, however I find it unacceptable that a town like Rochester will be left with only a single bank on the High Street.
The closure of branches has been a disappointing trend in Rochester over recent years and we are now close to a point where residents and businesses face access issues. Yet, Rochester’s High Street is still an attraction for commercial activity despite the reduction of in-branch transactions.
The need for local branches will no doubt rise again with the prospect of up to almost 30,000 new homes across Medway by 2035 which highlights the short-sightedness of this decision. As a user of the High Street Natwest branch I know very well how much some local businesses rely upon it for their end of week cashing up. This is why it is important that such decisions are first consulted upon with local businesses and residents.
I will be actively campaigning against the closure and have written to the chief executives of Natwest and the Royal Bank of Scotland, as well as the responsible Treasury minister, Simon Kirby MP. Again, it is unacceptable a main regional centre such as Rochester will be left with a single bank branch and I will not be letting this go.
I will be happy to receive representations from local Rochester and Strood residents that I can use as part of my communication with the bank and Treasury.