'Unauthorised' South Shields cashpoint set to stay after quash bid blocked
An ‘unauthorised’ South Shields cashpoint will stay open after a bid to get it closed has been quashed.
An 'unauthorised' cashpoint machine can continue to operate in South Shields after a national planning inspector ruled it could stay.
South Tyneside Council had said the ATM had been installed in Boldon Lane News at 2-4 Stoddart Street in December 2024 without planning permission.
The local authority therefore issued an enforcement notice which set out several requirements. This included removing the ATM and reinstating glazing. However, an appeal against the enforcement notice was later lodged by Cardtronics UK Ltd.
A planning inspector was appointed by the Secretary of State to rule on the matter and the appeal decision was published on April 13.
It noted that the appeal had been allowed, the enforcement notice had been quashed and planning permission had therefore been granted.
The main appeal issues included public safety, with "particular regard to crime and the fear of crime" and the living conditions of neighbouring residents with regard to noise and disturbance.
‘Persistent source of passive surveillance’
In the appeal decision report, the planning inspector said the council's public safety concerns stemmed from "the potential for users of the ATM to become victims of crime", along with suggestions that "further camera provision would offer limited additional deterrent".
However, the planning inspector said vehicle movements and pedestrians using a pedestrian crossing and nearby businesses would provide a persistent source of passive surveillance during the day.
While acknowledging that an ATM may present a degree of crime risk due to the handling of cash, it was noted that no evidence had been provided to demonstrate that the locality was particularly vulnerable to ATM-related crime or antisocial behaviour.
The planning inspector added the Stoddart Street ATM would not "inherently heighten crime risk" and that the ATM and its users were highly visible, which would deter both opportunistic and planned criminal activity.
Decision made on cashpoint
On noise and disturbance, the planning inspector added the council's concerns included ATM users queuing at unsocial hours near a residential doorway.
However, it was noted that the ATM was located in a shopping area and that "any queuing would be infrequent and transient, rather than regular or sustained".
The planning inspector concluded that the proposal "does not result in an intimidating or unacceptable environment” and would not "harm the living conditions” of nearby occupiers in terms of noise and disturbance.