Residents of an Essex city say they are drowning in Costa Coffee after the chain unveiled plans to open its thirteenth outlet there.
The chain has three coffee shops within two miles of Chelmsford city centre and the brand is also sold within the Odeon cinema, Waterstone’s, WHSmiths, two Tescos and the local college.
Banners also proclaim the brand is for sale at two city petrol stations and two more new outlets are now planned, causing concern among locals, who fear independent coffee shops will struggle to compete.
Wayne Thompson said: ‘It’s absolutely overkill. I personally think that it’s beginning to make all town centres look the same.
‘I just don’t understand how they can keep getting planning permission, but that’s down to the council really. There are too many and it doesn’t give us independents much of a chance.’
Callie Dorling, 26, added: ‘In my opinion there’s quite a lot of coffee shops, we just don’t need so many. I prefer the more one off quirky coffee shops to the big chains, they are everywhere you go.’
Another local, Jane Collins, added: ‘It is a bit ridiculous. I was joking to my friends the other day it is like living in Costa Capital. How much coffee do we need?’
One of the Costa stores in Chelmsford that are causing concern among locals, who fear independent shops will struggle
A Costa store next to Chelmsford train station in the Essex city. One local said they thought it was ‘absolutely overkill’
One of Chelmsford’s Costa stores is pictured. The chain has three coffee shops within two miles of the Essex city’s centre
One of the Costa coffee shops is located at Chelmsford. Odeon cinema. The city has been dubbed Britain’s ‘Costa Capital’
The firm wants to open one on a retail park that is currently being built and a town centre branch.
Chelmsford City Council declined to comment on the plans as they are currently being examined by planning chiefs.
The city’s Conservative MP Vicky Ford claimed the high number of stores was proof of the firm’s innovation and denied locals were being squeezed out.
She said: ‘Chelmsford is the UKs newest city and has many bustling shops, cafes and restaurants.
An Esso petrol station in Chelmsford where one of the Costa Express machines is located
A Costa is also located inside a Waterstone’s bookshop in the city. The chain has a new £38million roastery in nearby Basildon
Another Esso where there is a Costa. The chain said it was a ‘popular presence in and around the Chelmsford area’
A WH Smith store where one of the Costas is located. The chain said in a statement it was the ‘UK’s favourite coffee shop’
‘There is a very busy cafe society, as well as Costa and other well known brands, there are a large number of independent coffee shops which are very extremely busy and popular. Costa have over 3000 branches in the UK, so for a city to have around 10 is not unusual.
‘In Chelmsford, Costa have been quite innovative and licensed coffee shops in hotels, supermarkets and near to some new housing developments.
‘These sites often don’t directly compete with the locations where traditional many of small vendors are based.’
Similar concerns were recently expressed in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, which now has 11 outlets.
A Tesco store in Chelmsford where one of the many Costa Express machines in the city is located
The Chelmsford College campus on Moulsham Street in the Essex city where one of the Costa branches is located
A new retail park where a new Costa store is planned. Council chiefs are yet to decide if Costa’s expansion should be allowed
Empty units in Chelmsford city centre where one of the new Costa branches is being planned by the company
A Costa spokesman said: ‘As the UK’s favourite coffee shop and a popular presence in and around the Chelmsford area, we can confirm we will be opening a new store on Clocktower Retail Park later this year.
‘Additionally we will be opening a second Costa store early in 2018 on Chelmsford High Street.
‘We look forward to welcoming customers and participating in the local community.
‘We will share more details over the coming months.’