Bagshot Villagers unite to fight Nationwide closure

5.48.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 1st Jul 2009

Councillors Meurig Williams and Gret Woodason fighting against the closure of Nationwide

Despite a strong and united community campaign, Nationwide bosses went ahead with the closure of the Bagshot branch.

Your Lib Dem Borough councillors, Gret Woodason and Meurig Williams both joined campaigners on the bus which took the 2,500 signature petition to the society's Swindon headquarters, to challenge the closure. "This is a clear case of the needs of the community being ignored" said Meurig on hearing that all the residents' hard work had been rebuffed.

Councillors Meurig Williams and Paul Hutchinson outside the closed branch of Nationwide

There was no consultation - villagers were just faced with a notice in the branch window saying it would close down in three months. Meurig and Gret were among those who got a face to face interview with the Area Director, and felt there was a chance the decision would be reversed.

It was a bitter blow to hear the campaigners been led up the garden path with half promises of an agency to be set up in one of the Estate Agents.

Meurig added "I have already written to other financial providers to ask them to consider Bagshot for a branch or an agency. I was encouraged to hear that Llanidloes in South Wales, which has also lost their Nationwide, has managed to get a new branch of the Yorkshire Building Society to open. We won't give up. I know that Guildford and Woking Boroughs have secured a grant toward setting up a local Credit Union. Perhaps Surrey Heath might be able to join in, or make a similar bid".