A petition against Costa coming to Sandwich has gained more than 200 signatures.

It has been organised by Gillian Hardy, owner of Lady Elegance in King Street.

There is also a paper petition available from The Beach Hut Cafe in Strand Street.

The Costa chain has earmarked the former Whites of Kent shop in New Street and has already started work on the building.

Mrs Hardy said: “I know that other similar towns have fought Costa Coffee and have won and although it seems work has commenced on the old Whites shop and Costa has an advert in the window for staff I am not going to give up.

“How many medieval towns are there in the UK? Not many, and certainly not as unique as Sandwich and with a Magna Carta.

“Why would we want such a multi-national company in our beautiful town?

“We have many independent coffee shops, Goats that Dance, The Sandwich Shop, No Name Shop, Mermaids Locker and many more and these are only a few steps away from the proposed Costa Coffee location.

“These businesses and livelihood will surely be affected.”

She said independent cafes and shops were part of the unique character of the town for visitors.

She wants Dover District Council to stop Costa opening, rather than just rejecting its request for illuminated signs.

However, Costa does not need to apply for a change of use in order to open the cafe so the issue over lighting is the only application to go before the council.

The petition has gained 215 supporters so far, with one commenting that he was “outraged” by the Costa plans.

However, many residents on Facebook haven’t shared this view when asked to sign the petition.

"How many medieval towns are there in the UK? Not many, and certainly not as unique as Sandwich and with a Magna Carta." - Gillian Hardy

On the DDC website, former councillor Simon Leith, has supported the chain.
He said: “The scheme put forward in this application is, in my view, now acceptable for this sensitive location.

“The absence of illumination is a critical factor in the redesign. Any form of fascia lighting would have been unacceptable.

“Although the use of the corporate colour would have been tolerable, the use of very dark colours and simple bold text is in keeping with the existing fascia advertising panels for Whites of Kent and therefore does not, in my opinion constitute a significant change and would not be a detrimental visual impact on the street scene.”

The cafe is scheduled to open in early August and the chain says it will create eight to 10 jobs.

To sign the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/costa-coffee-stay-out-of-sandwich