AN all-party meeting on the closure of local bank branches – and subsequent loss of 600 jobs – is set to take place in the next two weeks.
SDLP Councillor Brian Heading secured the meeting of Belfast City Council parties to discuss the closures and how it affects local communities. Brian Heading
The West Belfast Councillor first expressed concern about the closure of the Ulster Bank Branch in Dunmurry, which lies within the Colin area. It is amongst nine branches marked for closure, others including Antrim, Ballymoney, Clogher, Comber, Holywood, Larne, Maghera and Warrenpoint.
The bank said the move comes as more customers move to online services.
Cllr Heading said: “I welcome the support from my fellow councillors for an all-party meeting to look at what we can do to address the spate of bank branch closures in our city in recent months and the proposed 600 job losses at Ulster Bank.
"Following the announced closures and the concern from members of the public I have been liaising with the Financial Services Union and will also be inviting the Belfast Chamber of Commerce to join this discussion.
“The closure of these bank branches and loss of these jobs has caused concern not just among the local community, but many businesses who rely on the services branches provide. Once these branches close they will not be returning and that will be an important resource lost to these areas for good. It is our duty as public representatives to work with everyone involved and see what we can do to address the issues that have arisen as a result of these closures and prevent these job losses.
“I accept the need to move with the times, but there is still a real need for brick and mortar bank branches in our city. For a number of reasons there are vast swathes of people who prefer to bank in-person and cannot simply move online at the drop of a hat. For some it would involve changing the habits of a lifetime, while others face significant technological barriers.
"We need to come together and try and find a compromise that maintains some form of physical banking in our cities, towns and villages before it disappears for good.”
