A TOUCH of cafe culture is coming to a Basildon retail park.

Planning chiefs have approved plans for a Costa Coffee shop at the Pipps Hill Retail Park, Miles Gray Road.

The coffee chain will open next to the Blockbuster video store.

The park’s management hopes it will help attract more shoppers to the site, which has Argos, Asda, B&Q and Comet stores.

The development will mean the loss of 22 parking spaces, but Basildon Council’s planning committee accepted the remaining 854 would be more than enough to accommodate shoppers and workers.

At the comittee meeting, councillor Phil Rackley raised concerns the approval could pave the way for an influx of restaurants leading to the site to becoming a “Festival Leisure Park two”.

His sentiments were echoed by chairman Stephen Hillier who said the coffee shop could be the “thin end of the wedge”.

But fellow committee members all gave the plans a ringing endorsement.

Geoff Williams, Lib Dem group leader, said: “This is a retail park and I don’t think there is currently anywhere for shoppers to sit down and have a cup of coffee. So I think this is badly needed, and won’t lead to a proliferation of coffee shops.”

Tory councillor Mo Larkin said it would also serve workers in the offices and factories which surround the site, and create new jobs.

Tory councillor Ann Blake pointed out there had been no objections from any of the existing retailers. Six members voted in favour, with Mr Hillier voting against the scheme.