Concern raised over ATM shortage in Midhurst

Cllr Dominic Merritt has said cash machines are a ‘lifeblood’ to rural communities and expressed fears that the only free cash machine in the town is often out of service.

Cllr Merritt said: "Residents in Midhurst trying to get their hands on cash have become very concerned that the only free cash machine in town is often unavailable and out of service. This has led to concerns that the free machine outside Tesco's in North Street, may be withdrawn completely.

"The Tesco's cash machine is vital to many people in Midhurst, particularly older residents who rely on it for regular withdrawals. Since the banks closed the number of machines has fallen from four to just one, with a less convenient machine at the BP garage in Easebourne. Machines like these are the lifeblood of rural communities and it is vital that the cash machine is kept in good repair and readily available. I have written to the Link organisation that own the cash machines, to press this point to them"

Figures from the House of Commons Library, compiled by financial review service The Grade, show how the number of cash machines across the Chichester district has dropped 22 per cent to 78 since 2018.

Other parts of Sussex have also seen huge drops in ATM numbers with Crawley losing 31 per cent, and Bognor Regis and Littlehampton dropping 14 per cent in the same period.

Speaking to this newspaper a spokesperson for The Grade said: "As ATM numbers decline across Chichester we are sleepwalking into an access to cash crisis. The elderly and vulnerable are often reliant on cash and in an area with so many pensioners (48 per cent above the national average) easy access to cash is a must.

"The recent TikTok craze of ‘cash stuffing’ shows younger people are turning back towards cash."

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