A NEW Costa Coffee could soon be opened in Westhoughton town centre.

The cafe will be located in the old Greater Manchester Police’s Westhoughton police station on Pavilion Square – if planning permission is granted by Bolton Council.

It is the first chain coffee shop to open in the town, and is expected to employ eight to 10 full-time staff and will be open Monday to Sunday from 7am to 9pm. The premises will cater for 135 seated customers, with a planned extension creating further seating space.

Tracy Atherley, manager of Choc-la-Te in Market Street, said:“It will affect our business but there are also several other businesses in the area that it will affect.

"The majority of them are small independent traders whose money goes into the local economy.”

Costa recently opened its fifth coffee shop in Bolton, in the regenerated Market Place Shopping Centre.

Chris Buckley, a representative from Westhoughton Community Network, said: “I think it probably offers more choice and it’s not a bad location — it’s a different offering.

"The more things you have going on in the town centre, the more footfall you’re going to get and that should be a plus for the town centre generally.”

Westhoughton’s Pavilion Square is home to many small local businesses, including GeeTee’s, Westhoughton Hardware and Chinese Pavilion, as well as wider known chains such as Domino’s Pizza. The application was submitted on Tuesday, September 6 by commercial property consultants Lamb and Swift.

Kerry Parkin, of Costa, said: “We work 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. One of our franchise partners is currently seeking approval for a new Costa store in Westhoughton.”