HIGH street giant Costa Coffee is confident that it can manoeuvre planning policy to open a shop in the town.

The company has applied to turn the former mobile phone shop at 14-16 Sheep Street into a coffee takeaway and café.

Currently local planning rules state that businesses are not permitted to switch from retail to any other use within Skipton's core retail area, which includes the High Street.

Earlier this year, Sandwich Cuisine, also on Sheep Street, lost its attempt to move from a takeaway to a café for this reason.

In a letter to the council, Christine Roberts, from Costa Coffee's applicants Cliff Walsingham and Company, said: "I am confident from my dealing with Costa Coffee on planning applications throughout the country that the planning application for a mixed use retail/coffee shop is the correct description of the proposed development.

"I am further satisfied that while there may be local planning policies seeking to generally prohibit the change of use of premises in the prime retail area for non-retail uses, the material considerations of this application are such that the proposal is acceptable."

She added that Costa Coffee would make a "significant and positive contribution" to Skipton town centre.

Within the planning application, Costa Coffee has also included planning appeal decisions showing how fellow national coffee specialists Caffè Nero has fought local councils to get permission for outlets.

This chain has triumphed over Winchester, Sevenoaks and Hounslow councils in gaining cafés that serve both takeaway drinks and allow customers to sit in.

The news of Costa Coffee's attempts to set up in the town has angered some smaller traders.

Paul Watson, who owns Coffee Mill, on Otley Street, said he had wanted to open a café on the High Street over a decade ago but planning rules had prevented this.

He said he feared that Costa Coffee would just move into town and set up with or without permission. Mr Watson told the Herald he did not believe his business would be affected by them.

But he added: "If Costa gets in here there will be a lot of smaller businesses that could go to the wall.

"They (Costa) are big enough to charge a very small amount and could run Skipton at a loss."

Mr Watson said it would be unfair if Costa was allowed to flout planning rules by trading on the High Street while other businesses had obeyed them and set up on side streets.

He said: "Once the precedent has been set there will be nothing the council can do to stop others."

Mr Watson said a petition against Costa's application would be drawn up shortly.