A Study of Changing Automated Teller Machine (ATM) Accessibility and its Implications in England and Wales

The ways that people choose to pay for products and services is changing, with many people having a greater desire to pay using electronic means in preference to using cash. However for a significant section of society cash remains an important option, for budgetary, technical and sociological reasons. One of the primary ways to make cash available is through Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and the United Kingdom’s financial industry and the government are keen to maintain a viable network of ATMs. In this study a refinement to the Floating Catchment Area technique, the Modified Huff Variable Three Step Floating Catchment Area (MHV3SFCA), is used to assess the accessibility of ATMs in England and Wales. The MHV3SFCA approach better accounts for competition, and ensures equity through a minimum threshold for access. How this accessibility has changed over time and how the definition of the network has an impact is shown. The results are illustrated with maps that identify potential ATM deserts and a case study of the City of York. Trends are summarised using the typographies of an area classification, a deprivation index and an urban/rural indicator. The results show better accessibility in deprived and urban locations. Over a 3 year time period the accessibility has deteriorated for all locations, however this was least in deprived areas, where accessibility is already good. In locations where there has been an attempt to protect ATMs, the level of accessibility has remained stable.