STARBUCKS in Cirencester is set to close down at the end of the month to make way for a planned extension of The Fleece hotel.

The popular coffee shop on Market Place will close its doors on Wednesday, May 31, while The Fleece will close for two weeks from June 26, if plans are approved by Cotswold District Council (CDC).

A planning application was submitted to the council on behalf of Thwaites Brewery, which owns the premises that houses both the hotel and coffee shop, last month.

The brewery runs the coffee shop as a franchise, with the plan to replace it with a lounge and dining area that can be used for meetings or private dining, as part of a transformation of the hotel’s ground floor.

The application is due to be decided by CDC sometime in June.

There are currently five members of staff working at Starbucks, with three set to transfer to new roles at the hotel.

A spokeswoman for the brewery said all five were offered positions at The Fleece, which will support the two other staff members as they move into new employment elsewhere.

If the planning application is approved, The Fleece will re-open with its new look and new menu from July 10.

Philip Mehrtens, general manager of The Fleece at Cirencester, said: “We are delighted to be having this investment made in The Fleece and it’s great that Thwaites wants to continue to develop our inn and attract more business into the town in this way.

“The Fleece is a beautiful, old building that is full of character,” he said.

“We are making sure our new design retains that character but the eclectic style will create a wow factor when people come inside.

“I’ve been really impressed with how the designer has managed to bring that together,” he added.

The application was discussed by Cirencester Town Council’s planning committee last Thursday (May 18) with members concerned over the intention to knock through a wall in what is believed to be a listed building, to allow for the integration.

Concluding, Cllr Stuart Tarr, committee chairman, 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”.

Prior to closing down, Starbucks will host a final open mic night on Thursday, May 25 from 6pm.

The venue’s open mic nights have been used as a way of raising money for charity.