Stop NatWest closing the Sonning Common bank

THiS BANK NEEDS TO STAY!

the report said that only 29 people use the bank weekly. This is incorrect. When I asked staff where this figure came from they said it was the number of NON BUSINESS clients who visited the bank MORE THAN ONCE per week. So that is not really the same thing. 3000 people could visit the bank once a week therefore and it would not be quoted in the stats. You can get stats to say whatever you want!

“The number of customers using this branch has dropped by nearly a third over the last few years"

Yes. If you change the opening times so it opens after people go to work, shuts down for lunch then closes before people finish work, the numbers of customers who use the branch will obviously drop. Not to mention the fact that they also dropped its opening days from 5 to 3.

Are people supposed to take time off from work to pay in a check? What about the whole "Helpful Banking" thing?

This bank is one of the only ones left where you can park . It is a great asset to the village and surrounding villages. Not everyone can get to the main branches so it seems very silly to close such a well used bank

Parking is available at the Sonnng Common branch of NatWest. Reading and Caversham branches do not have parking for customers who are unable to walk very far.

Having a bank in Sonning Common is a huge benefit for the village and I have been coming here for 10 years to make use of it. It is the easiest branch to get to for miles around.

We have accounts with both Nat West and Lloyds - I think if you remove this bank we will be moving all accounts to Lloyds as we can use the post office for banking rather than having to drive into a local town. I would rather keep local acccess to a local Nat West - you know you have deliberately killed use of it by making it as inefficent as possible.

I am treasurer for the local preschool and visit this bank every week often twice a week. It is the only bank in the village and provides a vital service. I specifically opened natwest accounts for my children so they would be able to do their own banking. I am deeply disappointed at the decision to close the bank.

The bank is always busy on the 3 days it is open. I nearly always have to queue, which shows it is necessary to the area, including all the smaller/other villages around not just Sonning Common (I live in Woodcote). The building however is too big, I'm sure they could find a suitable smaller building to save costs and still provide an excellent service.

I am treasurer for the local school PTA and visit this bank several times during term time to obtain change for events and to bank monies subsequently. Having a local bank available has made this so easy, even if the bank is only open 3 days per week. It is such a vital service and the bank is nearly always busy when I visit, no matter what time of day that is. More than 29 people a week use the bank, it is just the way the statistic has been compiled which shows it in its worst possible light, some customers have been excluded (e.g. if don't use at least twice per week).
It will be a huge loss to the village.

I can't believe that it is thought to be little used there is always at least one other customer when I go in.

It's not easy to get to Henley by bus and it will take a couple of hours to pay a cheque in by going to Reading. There are a lot of elderly people and small businesses in the surrounding area who use this facility.
Please don't go.

nat west are constantly telling us they are a friendly bank - by transferring to a smaller outlet in the centre of the village where services are more accessible we would be able to believe them!