Andrew Gwynne, MP for Denton and Reddish, is calling for action to improve the provision of local ATMs.
Gwynne’s intervention comes after new data revealed that there has been a 33% reduction of free-to-use ATMs across the Denton and Reddish constituency since 2018. Across the UK, there has been a 26.5% reduction in the same period.
The decline has been attributed to the closure of banks and building societies, as more people use online services to manage their money. Due to bank closures, many people are reliant on other places to access cash, such as convenience stores. However, an increasing number of these ATMs are switching to a pay-to-use model.
Gwynne, who has recently urged Halifax to reverse its decision to close the Halifax Denton branch, met with LINK – the largest interbank network in the United Kingdom – to discuss his concerns.
Commenting, Andrew Gwynne said:
“I’m really worried about access to cash locally. Yes, more people are using online services, but we have to make sure that there are enough free-to-use ATMs for local people, and that physical banking services don’t altogether vanish from our high streets.
“I’m grateful to LINK for meeting with me recently to discuss this problem. They are assessing a number of issues about the local area, including total journey times to branches and ATM provision. I’ll continue to engage with them on this, and urge action to ensure that cash remains accessible right across the constituency.”
More information on LINK ATM data can be accessed here.