WE read with interest and considerable alarm (“Courier”, October 21) your leading article about the proposals for a Costa Coffee Shop at the former premises of High Street Saver.

If this were to be approved, it would be a serious commercial blow to the existing, excellent and independent coffee emporiums which we currently benefit from in the town.

It would be so sad to see the entrepreneurship of the owners of these shops challenged in such a way.

We do not believe that the people of Crediton and its surrounding, feeder villages, would wish to support a "chain" shop of this ilk in our town.

Therefore, for starters, it is not really a viable or profitable business proposal.

Crediton is, at last, beginning to climb out of its previous lassitude, with some very attractive retail offerings, which appeal to a broad spectrum of tastes.

This needs to be encouraged and the best way of achieving this is to support commercial diversity.

It only remains for Mid Devon District Council to allow a more generous approach to its car park pricing policies in order to encourage even more folk to support the town’s traders.

Therefore, we say a very definite "NO" to the Costa proposal and suggest that what the town really needs is something that we would otherwise have to go to Exeter or Barnstaple to see or to buy from.

A really good haberdashery shop would not go amiss or, perhaps, an attractive toy shop, offering a wide range of toys, games, model kits, etc, which would appeal to both young and old.

We could go on with ideas, but that’s probably enough to start with!

So, finally, a very definite "NO" to Costa.  Let us have something local, independent and which provides a service which we really want or need.

John and Helen Smith

Rockfield

Coldridge