HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition against plans by café chain Costa to open an outlet in Minehead.

The food and drink giant wants to convert the town's redundant Blockbuster video store into a coffee shop.

But existing café and restaurant owners in the seaside town have come out fighting, fearing the proposal could decimate business and be bad for Minehead.

Sidonie Kravis and Sarah Ryan, of Cream, have already collected more than 100 signatures in their café alone.

The pair said they were particularly opposed to Costa's plans to change the use of the old video rental store.

Costa has applied to West Somerset Council to have a mix of A1 and A3 uses at 2 Wellington Square, combining a sit-in café with takeaway sandwiches, drinks and paninis.

The takeaway sales would count towards an A1 use of the shop, which falls under a prime use under both local and national planning policies.

The café side is classed as A3, something not permitted by the district council in Minehead's "prime shopping area" unless "it does not cause demonstrable harm to the vitality and viability of the town centre as a whole".

Mrs Ryan said: "We're not against Costa coming to Minehead as such. It's about the change of use from a retail outlet to a coffee shop when others haven't been allowed to do it.

"Most people aren't interested in another food outlet. They would prefer to have something different to bring people into the town."

But Sally Eveleigh, of Toucan Wholefoods, said she was flatly opposed to the idea of an international café chain setting up shop in Minehead.

"We have a lot of independent coffee shops in Minehead and this would take clientele away from them.

"If they all lose a percentage of their trade, some may well have to close and we will then use the uniqueness of the provision we have in Minehead," she said.

She said the independent cafés kept the money they earned locally and could not possibly hope to compete against the advertising and marketing budget of a large chain like Costa.

"Personally, I don't think Costa is a good idea at all. All it will do is close some of the other cafés down," Ms Eveleigh said.

Costa's change of use application could go before the next meeting of West Somerset Council's planning committee on June 27, although that has not yet been finalised.

If it does go to the committee on that date, anyone who wants to speak either for or against the application must register with the council before 4pm on June 26.

In its application, Costa said its plans would create eight new jobs and help to bring "vitality and vibrancy" to the town centre.

Costa was founded in 1971 and is now a subsidiary of the Whitbread Company.

The firm sells hot and cold drinks, as well as sandwiches and paninis to either eat in or takeaway.

The proposed Minehead store would have seating for 52 people inside, plus an outside seating area with a further 16 chairs and eight tables.

Agents acting on behalf of the firm said: "In a climate where high street retailers are reducing in number due to administration and poor trading conditions, the prospect of an active and vibrant user such as Costa can be seen as a positive.

"The fact that the proposed Costa will occupy a long-term vacant unit indicates that the use will only benefit vitality and viability in this case."

The Blockbuster store has been vacant since May last year when the video chain went into administration.

Costa's agents said they were not aware any other business had shown an interest in the premises and by allowing the change of use application, the district council would enable an empty shop to be brought back into use.

Existing Minehead traders are pictured with their petition outside the redundant Blockbuster store, including Sidonie Kravis and Sarah Ryan of Cream, Sally Eveleigh of Toucan Wholefoods and Toyah Marchant of Coaster Coffee.

Photo: Steve Guscott