THE Royal Bank of Scotland is to close its branches in Colwyn Bay and Llandudno.

It is not yet clear how many staff will be made redundant or whether there will be opportunities for them to be redeployed elsewhere within the bank.

These closures are part of a much bigger restructuring programme which will see 162 branches close across Wales and England.

The move will only leave the Prestatyn branch in North Wales.

Assembly Member Darren Millar, who expressed disappointment at the announcement and stated he has requested an urgent meeting with the bank. He said: “I am sick of hearing of bank closures across Conwy, which do nothing to enhance the image of the banking industry. I appreciate that banks have to move with the times, but this is a devastating blow to Colwyn Bay and Llandudno.

“Having an accessible local branch is important for older people, those without transport, those without internet access, shopkeepers and small businesses. It is very difficult for many customers to travel to those branches which remain in other locations.

He added: “My thoughts also go to the affected employees and their families, who will no doubt be extremely concerned about today’s announcement. It is always extremely difficult for those affected by the prospect of redundancy, and this is sadly another blow for a sector which has already been hit by similar job losses.”

Unite, which represents the bank’s workforce, has said the closure plans have shocked staff who have today been told the closures will hit 993 members of staff across the country.

A spokesman said: “Today employees have finally been told of their dark futures because the bank has been calamitously managed for too long.

“As a result of these closures the overwhelming majority of customers will find themselves without access to full banking facilities

He added nationally: “Affected branches will close in two tranches, the first in July and August with the remainder closing in October and November.”

A spokesman for the Royal Bank of Scotland said: “The way customers bank with us has changed radically over the last few years. Since 2014, branch transactions across England & Wales are down 30%. During this same period, there has been a 53% increase in the number of customers using mobile banking.

"We now provide our customers with more ways to bank with us than ever before, customers can choose from a range of digital, face-to-face and local options to suit their needs.”