THE Gwendraeth Valley will have no banks later this year after Lloyds announced the closure of its Tumble branch.

Lloyds Banking Group announced 39 locations in the UK that will lose their branches of the bank in the coming months, with Tumble being one of them.

The closure – which is due to take place on August 3 – will mean that the Gwendraeth Valley will have no dedicated banks, according to Plaid Cymru politicians.

Lloyds cited the reason for the closures as a decrease in the number of people using the banks in person.

Their brochure detailing the closure of the Tumble branch shows that there has been a 60 per cent decrease in people using the branch, when comparing the figures for 2022 with the 2017 figures.

They say there are 152 customers who use the branch on a regular basis, and 71 per cent of people who use the Tumble branch have used online or telephone banking and other branches.

Llinos Mai Davies, county councillor for Llannon ward, said: “There’s no denying that the way people are banking is changing – however, bank branches on our high streets remain vital services for so many residents and local businesses.

“This is the last bank branch in the Gwendraeth Valley, and I am particularly concerned about the impact this closure is going to have on the elderly and vulnerable. I have written to Lloyds asking them to reconsider this decision.”

Cefin Campbell, MS for Mid & West Wales, said: “Closure of the Lloyds bank at Tumble is a further blow for Carmarthenshire residents and businesses.

“Communities across the county have already endured a disproportionately high number of bank closures - from Llandeilo last week, to previous closures in Ammanford and Cross Hands to name only a few.

“It’s increasingly clear the traditional banking system is failing our high streets and communities – with more and more customers being left high and dry.

“The Welsh Government have previously promised a Community Bank for Wales to step in where the multinational banks are failing our towns and villages. I will be pressing for urgent clarity of this development.”

This announcement comes after Lloyds also announced its Ystradgynlais branch will close in September and Llandeilo’s Barclays Bank will also close later this year, leaving both towns without a single bank.

Residents who regularly use the Tumble branch of Lloyds are advised that their nearest branch would be in Ammanford.

There will be a community banker visiting the area for a period of time following the closure of the bank to provide face-to-face guidance and support to personal and business account holders should they need it.