Angela Crawley MP this week held a debate in Westminster on the closure of the Lanark branch of Santander.
The local MP called on the Government to use its influence in the financial sector to urge the bank to reconsider the closure, which she argued would have a “devastating impact on the local community”.
The Lanark closure is part of Santander’s plans to reduce their branch network by a fifth and is due to take place on the 4th of July this year.
The rationalisation of the bank’s estate will mean 840 redundancies across the UK, with only a third of the 1,270 staff redeployed.
Angela continued her campaign to halt the closures by speaking in a Backbench Business Committee debate, held on the 14th of February.
Commenting, Angela said:
“For people and businesses in Lanark who depend on the face-to-face service they get in their local branch, this is not just an inconvenience but a blow to the community.
“Many local businesses depend on having quick access to their bank, and the closure will cause difficulties for many businesses in not only the town centre but the surrounding areas.
“I have campaigned on town centre decline and regeneration in Carluke and the consequences of further closures of banks and high street stores in the Clydesdale area cannot be overestimated.
“For some customers, without the branch there will be no reason to visit the town centre at all, which is ultimately bad news for the local economy, footfall in shops, restaurants and cafés on Lanark High Street.
“I accept that this is a commercial decision by Santander, but the Government must take any action they can to halt the closure and hold the banks to account for their decisions.”