BANKING giant HSBC has already said it will close the Blaenavon branch in May and now the debate over high street bank closures in rural areas is to be taken to Westminster.

Brecon and Radnorshire, Liberal Democrat MP Roger Williams has secured a ninety minute Westminster Hall debate after the same organisation said it was also to close its Presteigne branch.

Mr Williams applied for the debate to be held to discuss the impact that these closures have on rural communities.

Commenting Mr Williams said, "This will be a very important debate, the local bank branch is crucial to the local economy.

"In both cases HSBC's argument was that in these branches, people were not buying mortgages and other banking products in enough quantity to make the branch viable.

"This may be the case, but large numbers of people have bought products from them in the past and then to get up and walk away from the area, to me is very shaky morally.

"I understand the commercial pressures these banks are under but they must understand the effects these closures have on the areas, its tourism, economic development and indeed the effect it has on their customers.

"We will be fighting tooth and nail to keep these banks in the communities they serve."

In Blaenavon HSBC representatives refused an invitation to attend a public meeting and chose to hold separate meetings with interested groups instead.

Blaenavon town councillors, who had already handed over a petition of more than 1,200 signatures to the banking organisation, met representatives from HSBC along with Torfaen county councillors and traders from town.

Lynne Neagle AM and Paul Murphy MP also met the bank's management, but were also unsuccessful in getting the decision to close the Blaenavon branch overturned.

Blaenavon Town Councillor Lewis Evans has also written to the regional manager of HSBC and received the bank's generic reply saying that the branch was not commercially viable as their response.

Councillor Evans has now written to the HSBC's chief executive outlining why the branch should remain open, but he is not expecting a positive reply.

Councillor Evans said that if he does not get a confirmation to reconsider the decision to close the Blaenavon branch, that he would taking his concerns to the office of the Banking Ombudsman.