Council serve notice on shop’s well-used ATM
NL say location‘unsafe’ but over 400 people petition to save it
Staff at a newsagents in Wishaw have hit out at North Lanarkshire Council over their decision to remove the busy cash machine from outside their store.
Workers at Day-Today on Caledonian Road say they are furious after finding out the local authority have served an enforcement notice to remove the atm because of it’s “unsafe” location.
Shop worker Nawaz Aslam told the Wishaw Press his family will continue to fight to save the facility.
He said: “We are very disappointed that this decision has been finalised.
“We really thought we would have been granted permission to keep it. If the council do remove it we will fight to get it back.
“Customers are outraged and angry as they use this machine on a daily basis,”
“Pensioners are worried as they withdraw their pension money from this machine and they will now have to travel further.
“The machine doesn’t only help our business it benefits the community.”
In just 48 hours more than 400 disgruntled customers backed Day-Today’s campaign to save the machine.
Wishaw councillor Frank McKay said: “This is a well used facility and I totally disagree with the decision to remove it.
“Many people, old and young, rely on this cash machine and I think it will be a big loss to the community.”
A council spokesman said: “Retrospective planning application for an ATM was submitted 2015, this was refused as it would be likely to result in on street parking at a busy location and would cause congestion.
“Following on from the refusal of planning permission, a request for the Local Review Body to consider the application was carried out. The Local Review Body upheld the original decision and the application was refused.
“We wrote to the owner of the property requesting a timescale for the removal of the ATM but we have had no response.
“As planning permission has been refused, the ATM is currently unauthorised and an enforcement notice will now be served to require it to be removed.”
Old and young rely on this cash machine and it will be a big loss to the community