5th September 2025
Bank branches are closing at a rate of knots in the UK: one in three have closed in the past five years and the UK has one of the highest rates of bank closures in Europe – only Spain and the Netherlands report a higher proportion. When Thame lost its last bank branch in February this year, the Town Council tried hard to get a banking hub – the banking industry’s solution to the provision of a range of banking services from several major banks within one building.
However, Thame’s appeals to LINK, the not-for-profit body running the UK’s cash machine network, and subsequently to the scheme’s Independent Assessor in July were unsuccessful, and the town was allocated an Automated Deposit Solution (ADS) machine for cash deposits and withdrawals (notes only) instead. Thame’s submission to LINK and the LINK Independent Assessor’s response can be viewed on our website.
Since then, the Town Council has investigated every possible avenue, including obtaining the support of our Member of Parliament, Freddie van Mierlo, to seek a viable way forward but has had to accept that the banking hub option remains off limits for the time being. The council’s immediate focus will be on three areas for upgrading the cash-based services in the town:
- Getting an improved post office service – currently frequently understaffed, leading to long queues
- Improving the cash available via ATMs in the town – often out of cash
- Getting the ADS machine relocated inside, instead of on the exterior frontage of Boots in the High Street, raising concerns about security and privacy.
Cash Access UK, which is responsible for cash access on behalf of the banks, will be held to account for carrying out these improvements.
Meanwhile, the council asks you, the public, to kindly report your experiences of cash service provision in Thame vie email.
