THE Costa Coffee chain wants to open a branch in Leigh, as a heavyweight addition to to the town’s booming cafe culture.

The chain wants to take over an amusement arcade, whichg was previously a newsagent, in Leigh Broadway. The plans include outdoor seating.

Some residents, traders and councillors claim the town already has enough coffee houses. There is also concern about the impact of a well-known international chain on a town which prides itself on independent outlets. Shirley Wakeling, 42, of Leigham Court Drive, Leigh, said she would prefer more shops rather than cafes.

She said: “There are just too many coffee shops at the moment. Between Leigh Road and Broadway West there are more than 47 places to eat and drink.

“What we need is more clothing shops. At the moment I have to go into Southend for that.

“But saying this, all the coffee shops are busy, and it seems to be easier to set up a coffee shop than anything else, because they make a lot of money.”

While many coffee shops thrive, there are signs of struggle in the crowded market: Zucca, in Rectory Grove, Leigh, closed last spring.

Peter Wexham, Southend councillor for Leigh ward, doesn’t think people will welcome another coffee shop, and said the fact Costa wants outdoor seating means the pavements would be congested.

He added: “We have dozens of them in this town and we already have three in that area as it is. It just seems to be one after another that shops are being changed into cafes.

“We need to make sure we have the right balance of both.

“We seem to be losing out on shops, which we need.”

Judy Matthews, owner of the Book Inn bookstore, in Broadway West, agreed.

She said: “We have far too many coffee shops in Broadway and we don’t need any more.

“Before long we won’t have customers coming into town to do their shopping, because it will just become a place for eating and drinking and not shopping. It will make it even harder for the shops to carry on.”

Judy, whose store has had its own in-store coffee shop since 2002, added that independent coffee shops would always be preferable to a chain such as Costa, as independently-owned businesses at least offered shoppers something different and unique, and said the town needed to be careful to maintain a balance between food outlets and retail shops.

Kevin Fell, 34, who runs the Bean deli cafe in the Broadway, said: “I am up for fair competition, but I’m not keen on it being a major chain, because they can bring more to the table. Costa is in every High Street in the land, but we offer more than they do, as a restaurant as well as a coffee shop.

“The coffee places in the Broadway are a victory for the independents and it’s what people want, based on the number of customers we see.”

Steve Green, manager of the Oasis Coffee House in Leigh Road, said: “We’ve worked hard to keep our customers. We will continue to do so.”

A decision on the plans is expected to be made by February.