Costa Coffee, which already has a store in West Street, will take over the former Santander building in East Street and open its second city-centre branch in East Street.

Chichester District Council granted change the use planning permission for the unit from financial and professional services to a mixed-use coffee shop on February 25.

Nicholas Kingsley a local resident objected to the planning application, saying: “Surely another coffee shop is not needed in Chichester. To start with, another place with tables outside their shop would cause extra movement problems, along with the extra noise. In addition, having an extra shop would give Costa an unfair competitive advantage.”

Kim Long, Chichester’s city centre manager, said: “The City Centre Partnership is pleased to see a vacant business unit back in use.”

The new Costa Coffee shop will be permitted to open between the hours of 6.30am–8pm.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you welcome another Costa in Chichester with the new jobs that will no doubt be created or do you think we have more than enough coffee shops in our town already?