A campaign has been launched to try and get a cash point reinstated at Alston.
At present, if residents want to make use of a cash machine they have to undertake a 32-mile round trip.
Residents can use the post office to withdraw cash, when it is open, but at present it is temporarily closed and not due to reopen until Tuesday.
Concerning the loss of Alston’s LINK cash machines, a parish council spokeswoman said: “As a result of vandalism, LINK has removed the cash machines in the Co-op and outside Spar.
“Despite the parish council and other groups and individuals contacting them, LINK says we can just get cash from a post office and need nothing else. We continue to contact them, but it would be very helpful if everyone on Alston Moor who has ever used our cash machines would also write.
“It would be especially useful if you could point out any of the following issues as they apply to you:
- Difficulty of accessing our post offices during their opening times
- Problems of reaching Alston post office given mobility problems, dealing with the cobbles and steps
- Being a customer of the Cumberland Building Society, whose accounts are not accepted by the post office system
- Knowing of visitors to Alston Moor arriving and expecting to be able to access cash
- Rarely being in places where cash machines are available, but needing cash for several Alston Moor businesses
“Send your message to accesstocash@link.co.uk or by post to LINK Scheme Ltd (Cash Access Request), Central House, Otley Road, Harrogate, HG3 1UF.”
Jacky Hewison reported on Facebook site Alston Moor Matters that there had been a fantastic response to its cash machine poll. The result was that 374 respondents would very much appreciate having a cash machine; seven do not see the need to have a cash machine; 211 would use the cash machine daily/weekly; 20 would use the cash machine monthly; and five would not use a cash machine.
A LINK spokesman said: “We have spoken to local residents and assessed the cash access needs in Alston, and visited the town as part of that assessment.
“The post office on Front Street provides a service to local residents to withdraw and deposit cash. While we understand it can be frustrating when a machine is removed because of criminal activity, we are satisfied that there is sufficient cash access locally.”
