Cash Access UK opened two banking hubs in Wales in 2023 (Prestatyn and Welshpool) and has plans to open at least six more this year, including Porthcawl. These include Abergele in Conwy, Abertillery in Blaenau Gwent, Morriston in Swansea, Risca in Caerphilly and Treorchy in Rhondda Cynon Taf.
The Hub, when it opens, will offer a counter service operated by the Post Office, where customers of all major banks can carry out regular cash transactions, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm. It will also offer a Community Banker service where customers can talk to their own bank about more complicated issues on the day their bank is in the Hub.
Community Bankers will work on rotation, with a different bank available on each day of the week:
Monday: Barclays
Tuesday: Halifax
Wednesday: Lloyds
Thursday: HSBC (am) NatWest (pm)
Friday: Santander
Cash Access UK say that finding the right location for a Banking Hub that is convenient, accessible and works for everyone often takes time, so it’s delighted to have been able to secure convenient premises in the heart of the community.
It adds that this development is a significant step forward in bringing a Banking Hub to Porthcawl.
The Hub will open in 2024 and the team at Cash Access UK are now working hard to fit out the new premises and will update the community on progress and an opening date as soon as they can. The Porthcawl Banking Hub page on the Cash Access UK website will provide updates as works progress.
The Hub was recommended by LINK, the UK’s cash access and ATM network, following the announcement of the closure of the town’s last remaining bank branch.
Gareth Oakley, CEO at Cash Access UK: “We are happy to announce that we have secured a location for our Porthcawl Banking Hub. The two Hubs that opened in December in Prestatyn and Welshpool are already making a difference. The next steps are refurbishing the new building and making sure it’s ready as soon as possible.”
Dr Jamie Wallis, MP for Bridgend: “I’m thrilled that Porthcawl’s residents can continue using in-person banking near to their own homes, thanks to Cash Access UK’s Banking Hub on John Street. This lifeline should safeguard continued cash access after a painful period of uncertainty, ensuring everyone living locally is afforded a regular rota service shared between bank providers. This should serve as an enormous reassurance to those that wrote in initially in 2023 – I’d like to thank Cash Access UK for duly delivering on their prior promises!”
