Shared banking space
The hub will be delivered by Cash Access UK before the closure of a local branch next year. It will provide counter services run by Post Office staff, allowing customers to withdraw and deposit cash, pay bills and carry out everyday transactions.
Private consultation rooms will also be available, where customers can meet community bankers from their own bank on a rotating basis to discuss more complex matters.
Gorseinon will be the second banking hub in Swansea, joining the existing facility in Morriston.
Local banking picture
The announcement comes after a series of high‑street bank closures across South West Wales:
- Barclays shut its Gorseinon branch in February 2022, citing a steep fall in counter transactions. At the time, the bank revealed only 83 customers used the branch exclusively, while 83% were already banking online or by phone.
- HSBC closed its Alexandra Road branch in June 2021. Lloyds has announced it will close its Gorseinon branch in October 2025, leaving Principality Building Society as the only remaining provider in the town and prompting the creation of the new banking hub.
- In nearby Pontardawe, Lloyds Bank’s planned closure has been branded a “betrayal” by Senedd Member Sioned Williams, who warned it would leave the entire Swansea Valley without a single bank branch.
- TSB announced the closure of its Carmarthen branch in September 2024, part of a UK‑wide cut of 36 branches and 250 jobs, with just a handful of customers still using the branch regularly.
- NatWest’s decision to close its Neath branch has also been met with “deep disappointment” from local representatives, who warned of the impact on businesses and vulnerable residents.
The new Gorseinon hub is intended to ensure residents and businesses continue to have access to face‑to‑face banking services despite this wider trend of closures.
LINK statement
Chris Ashton, Chief Commercial Officer at LINK, said:
“While more people are switching to digital banking and payments, we know that many people still rely on and choose to use cash. That’s why we’re delighted to recommend Gorseinon as one of 11 new hubs today.”
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that Lloyds was one of the only banks still open in Gorseinon. In fact, Lloyds has announced its branch will close in October 2025, which was a catalyst for the new banking hub. The branch remains open until then.
