New ways are needed for people to get money in Lancashire towns which are increasingly becoming ‘cash machine deserts’, councillors say.

Drawing out cash is getting increasingly difficult in towns such as Barnoldswick and Earby, Pendle councillors believe.

The situation was raised at the latest meeting of Pendle Council’s West Craven Area Committee. An agenda for the meeting said there are only a few cash machines and these are often broken or empty.

Lib-Dem Coun David Whipp, committee chairman and the new deputy leader of Pendle Council, said: “I cannot be alone in being stopped in the street by people saying they cannot get any cash. This is a big issue and it’s getting worse.

“The Post Office cash machine is often out of commission for half the week, so people go to the Co-op or Spar. It’s the same in Earby. ”

Lib-Dem Coun Chris Church said: “With the loss of banks, most people are entirely reliant on one machine in the Co-op and one or two others around town. But there are very few machines now. It’s got worse in Barnoldswick.

“Can we approach anyone to see if there’s a solution? I know some shops do give cash-back but it’s not available to everybody. We have to think about the people who depend on cash machines and different times through the day and night.

“There are town centres which are now cash machine deserts. I don’t know who we could approach about this? In some places, supermarkets have got a few cash machines side-by-side.”

Lib-Dem Coun Susan Land, who is from Earby, said: “Customers come into the shops in Earby and ask about cash machines. There is one machine in the Co-op but people say it is often broken. And that’s it. Since the bank left, which seems a long time ago, there are only two facilities for drawing-out money now.”

She understood a wine shop offered some type of cashback services but was unsure of the latest situation. She said local town council offices in West Craven might be options for new cash machines.

Lib-Dem Coun Tom Whipp said: “I think anyone can commission a cash machine. We could ask MP Andrew Stephenson, who has an office with a shop front in Barnoldswick.”

David Whipp added: “There is an association of cash machine providers. There must be similar issues across the country. We could look to see if there are property owners or organisations which could have cash machines.”

Callum Hird, a Barnoldswick town councillor, said: “The Aldi supermarket in Colne has a cash machine. Maybe they would put one in Barnoldswick?”

Aldi has a reputation for being consistent across all its shops, so might be sympathetic to a Barnoldswick request, councillors said.

Elsewhere, if the Co-op in Barnoldswick put a cash machine on an outside wall, that would improve things said Lib-Dem Coun Mick Strickland. Currently, the cash services are inside the shop so only accessible during opening hours rather than 24 hours a day.

It was agreed to explore the various suggestions.