Angry villagers plan funeral procession for their cashpoint

RESIDENTS of St Agnes are planning to hold a mock funeral procession for the coastal village’s only cash machine, which is threatened with closure.

Villagers are so angry at the decision by Barclays, which closed its St Agnes branch in 2015, that they plan to mark the ATM’s ‘death’ by dressing in black and carrying a coffin emblazoned with the bank’s logo.

The closure is being overseen by LINK, which manages the UK’s cash machine network. The ATM was due to close on December 11 after LINK said residents and businesses could continue accessing cash from the post office counter in the village’s Costcutter store. However, that caused a backlash with many, including the post office manager, saying it would not be able to cope with demand.

The Barclays cash machine now bears a message saying: “We are still open for now. We’re keeping it open while we work with LINK to assess whether you will need more cash services in your community once this cash machine closes. We’ll confirm our closure date here, as soon as we know it.”

The campaign to save the ATM is being driven by Cornwall councillor Pete Mitchell, who said: “Cash is king in St Agnes really and long may it reign. Without that ATM, village life would be a disaster.”

In many ways, St Agnes is more like a town with around 200 registered companies and 40 places to eat. Gemma Anderson, who is helping Cllr Mitchell with the campaign, said: “Lots of the businesses, especially the greengrocers, encourage people to pay in cash.”

Carr Butchers has been running next to the cash machine in the Churchtown heart of St Agnes for 38 years. “A lot of my customers like to pay cash, especially a lot of the older generation,” said Rob Carr. “They know how much they can spend if they’ve got the cash on them.

“When people come down in the summer, they go to that cashpoint to get money out. If it goes, it will be a struggle for the whole village. People go to the pub and spend cash - it will affect everyone.”

Mr Carr added that the opening of a new Co-op store at the entrance to the village, which was approved at the beginning of the year, could exacerbate the problem.

“I’m sure they will put a cashpoint right outside the Co-op, so the footfall for the centre of the village will go. What’s the point of coming down here when you can’t get cash, but you will be able to get cash up there and spend it in the Co-op? Holidaymakers come here because they love the independent stores.”

Churchtown Veg & Wholefoods, which is also next to the cash machine, has told the campaigners that approximately a third of its transactions are made in cash. Dr Chris Whitworth, senior partner at St Agnes Surgery, has written a letter objecting to the removal of the ATM and describing it as an “invaluable service” to its patients.

The nearest free-to-use ATM outside St Agnes is in Perranporth, approximately four miles by road. In his appeal to LINK, Cllr Mitchell said: “While we recognise that the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) rural distance test is measured in a straight line, residents cannot travel ‘as the crow flies’; they must use the available road network, walk or rely upon public transport.

“This particularly affects people who do not drive, older and disabled residents, people with mobility or accessibility difficulties, housebound people who rely upon others, and those for whom travelling to another area creates a genuine barrier to accessing their own money.”

The last census showed one in four residents of St Agnes aged 65 or over. “The village is continuing to grow, with information from a St Agnes parish councillor indicating that approximately 100 to 150 additional homes are either currently being built or have planning permission and are expected to commence in the near future,” added Cllr Mitchell.

The campaigners argue that the Costcutter post office cannot provide an equivalent replacement for the ATM. “Evidence gathered directly from the post office manager shows that its normal counter hours are approximately 8.30am to 4.45pm, substantially shorter than the wider Costcutter shop it operates from,” said Cllr Mitchell.

“Because of staffing shortages, it can sometimes open as late as 10.30am or not at all, despite the shop itself being open. From October 1, reduced counter availability has also been reported on Mondays and Wednesdays, with the counter closing from 2.30pm.”

Cllr Mitchell also cited also significant physical cash-capacity limitations. “When the Barclays ATM is unavailable, withdrawals have had to be restricted to £50 per person. During a recent ATM outage in October, the post office exhausted the cash available for customer withdrawals by approximately 1pm. Additional cash can take approximately one week to arrive.”

The people of St Agnes have history when it comes to banking closures. In 2015, around 3,000 residents signed a petition to save their branch of Barclays, the last bank in the village. Vince Cable, then Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, stated in Parliament: “We recognise the need in St Agnes for a bespoke solution, since the post office is not the ideal vehicle.”

“We recognise that circumstances and banking habits can change, but the evidence gathered for this appeal indicates many of the underlying needs remain,” added Cllr Mitchell.

Perran Moon MP wrote to Barclays earlier this month raising concerns about the potential social, financial and local economic consequences of removing the ATM.

A LINK spokesperson told us: “LINK’s role is to ensure consumers and businesses continue to access cash free of charge for as long as it is needed. LINK carried out an assessment of cash access in St Agnes following the announced closure of the ATM in September 2026 and determined that residents and businesses can continue to access the cash services they need through the local post office, which is open seven days a week.

“A local councillor has appealed LINK’s decision. As part of our established appeals process, we will carefully consider all the information submitted to ensure that we have reached the right conclusion.”