Esther Harries, Stonor Park Road, Solihull, West Midlands, writes:

As a frequent visitor to Dartmouth, I was dismayed to read in the Chronicle, October 21, that Costa proposes to open a 35-seater coffee shop in Dartmouth.

The appeal of Dartmouth has always been its independent coffee shops, patisseries and restaurants.

In my opinion, allowing large chains such as Costa to set up shop in small coastal towns such as Dartmouth will not only have a detrimental effect on driving smaller independents out of business, but will also be far less appealing to tourists such as ourselves.

If Costa gets the go-ahead, what next, McDonald’s?