Mock funeral planned for St Agnes cash machine facing closure
Campaigners say the village post office could not cope with demand
Last updated 16th Oct 2026
People in the coastal village of St Agnes in Cornwall are planning a mock funeral procession for their only cash machine, which is threatened with closure.
Campaigners plan to carry a coffin emblazoned with the Barclays logo while dressed in black, to mark the ATM's closure.
Barclays closed its St Agnes branch in 2015.
The closure of the cash machine is being overseen by LINK, which manages the UK's cash machine network.
The ATM was due to close on 11th December.
LINK said people and businesses could continue to access cash from the post office counter in the village's Costcutter store.
That caused a backlash in the village, with many people, including the post office manager, saying the counter would not be able to cope with the demand.
The Barclays cash machine now carries a message that says: "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."
Campaign to save the ATM
The campaign is being driven by Cllr Pete Mitchell, who represents St Agnes on Cornwall Council.
He said: "Cash is king in St Agnes really and long may it reign. Without that ATM, village life would be a disaster."
St Agnes has around 200 registered companies and more than 40 places to eat.
Gemma Anderson, who is helping Cllr Mitchell with the campaign, said: "Lots of the businesses, especially the greengrocers, really encourage people to pay in cash."
One of those businesses is Carr Butchers, which has traded next to the cash machine in the Churchtown area of the village for 38 years.
Rob Carr said: "A lot of my customers like to pay cash, especially a lot of the older generation. 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. It's not just me - people go to the pub and spend cash, it will affect everyone."
Mr Carr also said a new Co-op store at the entrance to the village, which was approved at the beginning of the year, could make the problem worse.
He said: "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 campaigners that approximately a third of its transactions are made in cash.
Dr Chris Whitworth, senior partner at St Agnes Surgery, has written on behalf of the surgery to object to the removal of the ATM.
He described it as an invaluable service to patients.
Distance to the nearest free cash machine
The nearest free-to-use ATM outside St Agnes is in Perranporth, approximately 3.9 miles away 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 people in St Agnes are aged 65 or over.
Cllr Mitchell said: "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."
Concerns over the post office counter
Campaigners argue the Costcutter post office cannot provide an equivalent replacement for the ATM.
Cllr Mitchell said: "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. Because of staffing shortages, it can sometimes open as late as 10.30am or not open 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.
"There are 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."
He added: "Most importantly, the manager has stated clearly that the post office would not be able to cope with the additional demand if the Barclays ATM were to be permanently removed."
History of bank closures in the village
St Agnes has been here before.
In 2015, around 3,000 people signed a petition to try to save the village's Barclays branch, which was the last bank in St Agnes.
The then Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Vince Cable, said in Parliament: "We recognise the need in St Agnes for a bespoke solution, since the post office is not the ideal vehicle."
Cllr Mitchell said: "We recognise that circumstances and banking habits can change, but the evidence gathered for this appeal indicates that many of the underlying needs remain."
Perran Moon MP wrote to Barclays earlier this month to raise concerns about the potential social, financial and local economic consequences of removing the ATM.
LINK and Barclays respond
A LINK spokesperson said: "LINK's role is to ensure that consumers and businesses can 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."
A Barclays spokesperson said: "Any changes to our ATM network are independently assessed by LINK under the UK's Access to Cash framework to ensure local communities continue to have access to cash."