Hundreds of people have signed a petition started by Chester MP Chris Matheson opposing the closure of the NatWest branch in Hoole.

Mr Matheson took to the streets to campaign against shutting the Faulkner Street outlet which follows the closure of the HSBC branch on the other side of the road last year.

NatWest, which is closing branches across the country, says the decision is based on ‘the number of people using the branch’, claiming there are only 60 active customers.

Mr Matheson said: “Hoole is a distinct local community with a character of its own. The people who make these decisions need to think about the impact of their actions on the community they serve – it’s not all about the numbers.”

Chester MP Chris Matheson and residents gathered outside NatWest in Hoole to collect signatures for a petition opposing the closure of the branch

He was joined last Friday, June 19, by several local residents who helped gather signatures for the petition and handed out copies of a letter the MP has written to Ross McEwan, chief executive of the NatWest Bank, in which he expressed concerns about the proposed closure.

Mr Matheson added: “Independent traders rely on local banks for depositing money – not everyone can afford to have G4S turn up with a bag of change to keep their tills ringing either. This is about the role banks play in keeping thriving shopping communities, like the one in Hoole, alive.”

Cllr Richard Beacham, who represents the nearby Newton Ward, said: “I’m here today because residents in Newton find it convenient to come to Hoole too. The bank brings customers to this area from Upton, Newtown, Boughton and much further afield. I just met a man from Frodsham who finds it convenient to come here. Local banking is part of the fabric of this area and I think the fact that we collected over 200 signatures in an hour reflects that!”

Customers find it difficult to believe the branch is underused as many experience queues because it is so busy.

But NatWest spokeswoman Debbie Phillips said: “There are only 60 active customers who regularly use the branch and 50 of them are shown to already be banking in other NatWest branches. A regular customer is someone who comes in weekly as opposed to the one-off customers who come in for big life-moment advice (mortgages etc).”

  • To sign the petition online, visit www.chrismatheson.co.uk/natwest.