COSTA has hit its first major hurdle in a bid to open in Dartmouth.

Dartmouth Town Council’s planning committee has recommended refusal of a change of use application to convert the former card and chocolate shop in Victoria Road into a coffee shop.

Many councillors do not want to see the town lose another retail shop and are concerned about the effect the proposal would have on residents who live in cottages behind.

Worries over rubbish collections, noise from air conditioning units and the unneighbourly element of the plan were raised at Wednesday’s meeting in the Guildhall.

Committee chairman Cllr David Gent told the dozen or so objectors present that the council had to look at the proposal in planning terms and not how it affected the local economy.

‘Whether we like Costa or its coffee or whether we think it’s good or bad for the town is not relevant to the decisions we have to take,’ he said.

Cllr Richard Cooke said the area behind the building was the only open space available for residents who lived in the cottages.

And Cllr Rob Lyon said there would be air conditioning units outside somebody’s front door.

Cllr Robin Springett said he believed the application was in the wrong place and ratepayers were owed ‘protection’ but he did not wish to send a message that the town was unfriendly to a British company chain that paid its taxes.

Cllr Gina Coles said she did not think Costa would last five minutes in Dartmouth by opening at 7am.

Cllr Richard Rendle said it was sticky ground objecting to new traders coming to town when the Dartmouth Trust had polarised everything with chain stores.

But environmental concerns of nearby residents should be incorporated into any permission, he stressed.

Cllr Tony Fyson said he was surprised a lot of people seemed to have ‘swallowed’ the line that Costa would be filling an empty shop and creating jobs.

But planning consultant Paul Williams, of Savills, acting for Costa, said opening hours would be adjusted according to business and various employment opportunities would be on offer, including many for young people.

He said the three new proposed air conditioning units would replace existing outdated systems installed in 2009 and all collections, including rubbish, would be made from the front of the shop and there was no intention to disturb residents at the rear.

Cllr Sue Thomson said she occasionally used Costa and she believed people should have a choice of where they wanted to go for coffee.

‘This unit has been empty for several months,’ she said. ‘Are we going to get a retailer in there or will it be a charity shop?’

The committee supported two further Costa applications for modifications to the shopfront and the installation of three new air conditioning units on a side wall and advertisement consent for one facia sign and one projecting sign at 5-9 Victoria Road.

Afterwards Dave Cawley, chairman of Dartmouth Chamber of Trade, said 122 people, including some members of the public, had taken part in the group’s Costa survey. Of those business responses, some 59 per cent were in favour of the coffee shop opening, he said.

An online poll conducted by the Chronicle has attracted 607 votes, 59 per cent of which were in favour.