PLANS to bring a branch of Costa Coffee to a Marlow park have come under fire this week, with concerns over the appearance and cost of the project.

Coffee Snobs, a franchise of Costa, has applied for planning permission to make "external alterations" to the Higginson Park building off Pound Lane, including advertising signs.

This includes changes to the structure itself, such as fitting air conditioning to the council-built shelter which was opened in 2008.

Complaints include the unsightly appearance of air conditioning units, the Costa advertising, energy conservation and the potential cost to taxpayers if the alterations are paid for by the council and not the leaseholders.

Wycombe District Council is due to rule on the application by February 12.

See next week’s Marlow Free Press for full details.