A newsagent said he and his wife will be left jobless and homeless if plans to demolish shops to make way for houses are given the green light.
Alf's Newsagent, in High Road, Benfleet, has been established for 40 years and Thakor Patel has run the shop with his wife, Saroj, for more than 18 years.
Petition - Thakor Patel has collected 300 signatures against the plan to sell off his shop to make room for new homes Picture: LUAN MARSHALL
Castle Point Council has received a planning application from Alf's landlord asking permission to demolish the shops to build homes.
Thakor, 59, lives in a flat above Alf's Newsagent.
He has collected a 300-signature petition against the plans.
He said: "My newsagent is part of the community and will be sorely missed if these plans go ahead.
"My wife and I know nearly all our customers personally, we support local schools and churches, and are the only shop in South Benfleet to do home deliveries to people who find it difficult to come and pick up their goods."
Published Wednesday, June 25, 2003
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article