Carla Lockhart MP said:

“It is deeply disappointing to learn that Santander plans to close its Banbridge branch. In semi-rural communities like ours, many customers, especially older people and those who are not confident with digital banking, still rely heavily on face-to-face services.

“Bank branch closures may appear to make commercial sense from a corporate perspective, but they often fail to take proper account of the real-life impact on local people and small businesses who depend on accessible, in-person banking.

“I will be engaging directly with Santander’s management to seek clarity on how customers will be supported and to ensure that no one is left without the ability to carry out basic banking tasks locally.

“Financial inclusion must be taken seriously. Communities should not be penalised or pushed further to the margins because of decisions taken far removed from the people they affect. I will continue to press Santander to reconsider this decision and to explore alternative solutions that maintain local access to banking services.”