Cllr Paul Donovan on the public fight against automation

The high street has been decimated due to moves to seemingly cut ties between customers and those providing the services.

There was an outcry recently when Nat West closed the branch in Wanstead High Street - the last bank to move out its physical presence.

Supermarkets have for some years been seeking to force customers onto self-service tills rather than staffed ones. This is aggravating for the customer, who wants to be served by a person. Doubly irritating is when self- service is deserted.

It is remarkable to witness empty checkouts, whilst the few that are open have people queuing round the shop.

Paul Donovan does not like using self-service checkouts in supermarkets

I cannot be the only person who endures taking longer to pay and get out of the shop than you do actually getting the shopping. It is a deliberate policy to force people onto the self-service tills

But there are signs of a fightback. Upmarket northern supermarket chain Booths have restored staffed checkouts. They have found the self-service checkouts to be "slow, unreliable and impersonal." Booths has been described as the Waitrose of the north, operating across Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and Cheshire.

Another stand was made over the closure of railway ticket offices. Train operating companies wanted to close ticket offices, leaving customers stranded in some cases.

A successful campaign led by the RMT union saw the government withdraw the proposals, following a public backlash.

So there are signs of people taking back control. 

Not that all change should be resisted. Many automation-based changes make life a lot easier. But things need to be viewed in a far more holistic way. The reason for change cannot just be the businesses desire to make more profit for shareholders. Customers and service users must have a say.

A lot of people are very concerned as the provision of all sorts of service become more remote and impersonal. People still want a human being to talk to at the end of the day.

The removal of human contact can lead to feelings of isolation and anxiety - especially in older people. This should not happen.

No one opposes change that makes life better but as some supermarkets, train companies and banks are finding, people want people. They also don't appreciate being treated as just another commodity.

Artificial Intelligence threatens ever more change but let's make sure the changes work for everyone, not just the bottom line.

• Paul Donovan is Labour councillor for Wanstead Village ward, Redbridge Council and a blogger (paulfdonovan.blogspot.com)