CAFE owners are building up a head of steam as coffee chain Costa circles around an empty shop unit in the centre of Great Malvern.

The company’s planning application to move into the Church Street premises previously occupied by Superdrug has prompted Sheila Swarbrick, of Courtyard Coffee House, off Belle Vue Terrace, to launch a petition with her husband Antony, who runs Rebecca’s Range in Edith Walk.

Mrs Swarbrick believes there are about 36 cafes and eateries within a five-mile radius and Church Street is particularly congested.

“To have another one is saturating the business in that area. Costa is certainly not needed; I think we have got enough competition.”

About 200 signatures have already been gathered after copies of the petition were handed out to every cafe, eaterie and pub in the town centre, with other traders showing their support.

Faruk Asan, who owns Henry’s Cafe Bar and Bistro, Church Street, said: “I am against the idea of them coming into town. At the moment we are struggling to make a living.

“What are they going to offer that we can’t? If they open a shop in the town I am sure one or two independents will close down.”

Great Malvern Association of Traders committee member, Anna Brook, says the application has split opinion between those who think it will hurt independent traders and those who would welcome the renovation of the unit and the jobs.

Although we are not the originators of the petition we feel this decision has to be taken very seriously.

“We are asking the council to take their time and to think about it very carefully.”

She added: “We want the public to express their opinion – however they feel, they need to express it to the council.”

If approved the cafe will have 24 tables and will be open daily between 6.30am and 8pm, including Sundays and bank holidays.

It will create eight full-time and eight part-time jobs.

In a poll on the Malvern Gazette website, which attracted nearly 300 votes, 33 per cent were in favour of Costa coming to Malvern, 62 per cent were against the move and five per cent did not know.

A spokeswoman for Costa said: “We are sorry that local residents and traders have felt the need to set up a petition to oppose a Costa store opening in Great Malvern.

“Costa works closely with planning departments across the country to open new stores for the benefit of their local communities, creating new jobs and providing attractive and popular social meeting places.

“If we were to come to Great Malvern, we strongly believe that coffee shops like Costa have a role to play in local investment and employment.

“The proposed location of the new Costa has been vacant for many months and Costa will be creating six to 10 jobs for the local community.

“We honestly do not think that anyone should see Costa as a threat to independent businesses.

“Our offering is very different to local independent coffee shops and we believe that people can and will use both, depending on their needs.”