Soon, Costa will be opening its doors to its newest coffee shop, here in West Norwood.

Whether you want to continue shopping at our local independent cafes or you are looking forward to a new Costa coffee shop coming to town, we can all agree that West Norwood is a place to be proud of. Our town centre is vibrant and inclusive thanks to its active local community and supportive businesses, and we want to keep it that way.

We worry that pressure on wages and the high cost of living mean that some in our community will not be paid enough to continue living, working and supporting their families here. We value the variety that small local businesses bring, and we are concerned about the pressure that national chains like Costa might put them under. We also worry that centralised supply chains for national brands will take local pounds spent out of the local economy.

Because of these concerns, we have been corresponding with the Managing Director of Costa, Christopher Rogers, to ask if he can –

1. Employ local residents
2. Pay them the London Living Wage
3. Ensure a local supply chain wherever possible to support local independent businesses

Costa’s parent company, Whitbread, says that – “a company needs to do more than just make profits and we are committed to being a force for good in all of the communities in which we operate”. We hope to see these values put into practice in West Norwood.

If you agree with our suggestions, you can sign here and share with your friends and neighbours.

We hope that eventually all businesses can pay the London Living Wage, and will be writing to the national brands in Thurlow Park asking that they commit to paying a decent wage.

Lambeth Council became a Living Wage employer in 2012 and asks its suppliers and contractors to pay the London Living wage.