INDEPENDENT coffee shops in the south of the borough will soon face competition from two new Costa outlets opening in Selsdon and Sanderstead.
The coffee shops, on the old Blockbuster site in on Addington Road and at Dick Townley Sports, in Limpsfield Road, will join three other Costa coffee shops and seven Costa Express outlets in Croydon.
Dennis King, chair of Sanderstead Residents' Association, said there are enough coffee shops in Sanderstead already.
"I like Costa but I don't know whether we want two, two is one too many," he added.
There has been some confusion over the planning permission needed for the coffee shops to open, but as Costa only grill sandwiches – which does not count as cooking – it does not need to apply for change of use permission for the old shop sites.
Ward councillor Yvette Hopley said planning enforcement officers at the council confirmed this.
"I find it strange that to grill something doesn't mean it's being cooked, but Costa are not in breach of anything," she said.
But Amanda Ashton who co-owns Priscilla's Tea Room, one of three coffee shops already in Sanderstead, said: "I am concerned because I want Priscilla's to be a success, but on a positive note it may bring more people into the area.
"And it will create job opportunities for a lot of people so it does have benefits."
