A COFFEE shop in Cirencester Market Place could be set to close down.

The plan to integrate the Starbucks premises with The Fleece hotel next door went before the town council’s planning committee this morning.

Cllr Jenny Hincks said the shop was previously part of the hotel, with the entrance to the Starbucks once being the entrance to The Fleece.

Concerns were raised by Cllr Roly Hughes over the intention to knock through a wall, in what is a listed building, to allow for the integration.

Cllr Hughes also said “it’s a shame” for the coffee shop staff if they are to lose their jobs, though committee chairman Cllr Stuart Tarr said “loss of employment” is “not a planning consideration”.

“We don’t know that this will result in loss of employment,” he said, though added: “We strongly suspect that would be the case.”

Concluding, Cllr Tarr declared that the committee did not object to the change of use, “subject to the views” of Cotswold District Council’s conservation officer, “whose attention is drawn to the demolition of a wall in a listed building”.

The application was submitted last month by planning agent Jeffrey Brabban on behalf of Daniel Thwaites PLC.

It will be decided by CDC later in the year.