Posters appear on empty Keynsham shop earmarked by Costa Coffee

The campaign against Costa moving into Keynsham has been stepped up with protesters sticking up posters over the front of the empty Clinton Cards shop earmarked by the coffee giant.

The posters say SAY 'NO' TO COSTA COFFEE and the link to Bath & North East Somerset Council's website is also given so that people can make their views known to planners.

The South West Coffee franchise, which already runs Costa branches in Portishead, Clifton, Henleaze, Bishopston and Westbury-on-Trym, has applied to Bath & North East Somerset Council to change the use of the card shop at 50 High Street, Keynsham to a coffee shop, opening from 7am to 8pm.

Objections have flooded into the council, with people saying there is no need for another coffee shop as the town already has enough, and there are fears that local independents could be pushed out of business.

One of the latest objections, from Paul Harwood, of Keynsham, says: "Keynsham High Street is already well served by shops that sell great coffee, including some family businesses that already have great relationships with their customers and provide the high street with character and personality.

"Including a large and powerful coffee retail chain without the extra demand for coffee being created by extra footfall will only put pressure on those businesses who cannot compete with Costa on price because of their ordering power.

"Acceptance of applications like this will mean that Keynsham High Street will become yet another clone of thousands of characterless town high streets around Britain who simply support large chains that move profits away from communities they serve."