Barnard Castle’s fight to get 24-hour cash machine continues

The fight for 24-hour cash in Barnard Castle continues – despite news that the town’s new banking hub will not have an ATM.

Durham County councillors Chris Foote-Wood and Richard Bell are joining forces to push for another cash point in the town.

At present, the only ATMs are inside stores and inaccessible outside of opening hours.

“When the authorities agreed that Barnard Castle was to have a banking hub, it was clearly stated that this would include a 24-hour ATM,” said Cllr Foote-Wood, “but when it was decided that the permanent hub would be located at Woodleigh, the town council offices in Flatts Road, it was ruled that the building was not suitable for an external ATM.

“Now we must look for an alternative location.”

The Mercury understands that conservation rules at the new hub’s home at Woodleigh make it impossible to have a cash machine through the wall.

Cllr Foote-Wood said he had been in touch with Morrisons, which previously had a 24-hour ATM, asking the supermarket to reconsider.

He had also approached the Post Office.

Cllr Bell added: “While there are several shops with cash machines in the town, they are only available during business hours.

“Locals and visitors alike often need cash at other times.”

Gillian Morton of Cash Access UK, the company behind the banking hub, told the councillors that her colleagues had been unable to find a suitable location for a 24-hour ATM.

In a separate statement, a Cash Access UK spokesperson said: “We’re continuing to work hard on delivering a permanent home for the banking hub in Barnard Castle and we will confirm these details in due course.

“At the current hub, located on a temporary site at The Witham, customers can do all their everyday banking services including withdrawing and paying in cash through the Post Office counter.

“Local residents can check for updates at cashaccess.co.uk/hubs/barnard-castle-county-durham.”

Shops in the town are also keen to keep cash alive, even though in some cases they do most of their trade by card.

At Wilde Books, Claire Robinson has a minimum spend of £3 for card transactions.

That was introduced to avoid people buying charity greetings cards priced £1 and seeing much of the charitable contribution eaten up by fees.

“Some of the things we sell are cash only, so the lack of an ATM does affect us,” she said.

“We prefer to have a mix of cash and cards because some of the people whose work we sell are paid in cash, so we need it to pass on to them.

“We’ll always do our best to keep taking cash; I wouldn’t want to see a totally cashless society.”

Similarly, at Teesdale Toys, cash is still welcome even though about 80 per cent of transactions are card-based.

“We still think it’s important to keep cash,” said Laura Drew.

“Particularly for kids and also, as I know from my own family, digital exclusion of older people who don’t use the technology.

“I don’t have any banking apps on my phone, I prefer to use cash wherever I can.

“It’s physical, you’ve either got it or your haven’t and you notice as you’re spending it.”