One of Southend's nicest and most inexpensive cafes is threatened with closure, because Southend Council feels its traditional style is out dated.

For years, I, my partner and our friends have been going to Southend Library's cafe, where we can enjoy cups of tea or coffee with sandwiches made-to-order, or freshly-made hot food including jacket potatoes, pastries and toasted sandwiches.

All this - with a friendly, chatty service - is at a fraction of the cost of most town centre coffee shops.

Many of these customers, I would say, don't even use the library and go just for the cafe itself.

Now, however, the council has asked for tenders from people to open a generic coffee shop in a more obvious part of the library.

As an afterthought, the applicants can also (if they choose) include a plan to keep the cafe open as well.

It is obvious what the council wants is to close this terrific cafe and replace it with something it considers more up-to-date.

Coffee shops are ten a penny, and increasingly we are offered less choice because so many of these great little cafes are closing down to make way for the next Costa or Starbucks.

If any of your readers have yet to discover this cafe then please go along and enjoy the food and the atmosphere - as Southend Council is assuming you don't want it any more.

Gerry Murnane
Lovelace Gardens
Southend