Artists are furious after plans were revealed to close a shop to make way for another coffee outlet in North Laine, Brighton.

The CJ Graphics shop has traded in Bond Street for more than 20 years and will close for the last time on Friday, leaving eight members of staff redundant.

The new coffee house would be the seventh in Bond Street alone, which has sparked criticism from artists who use the doomed shop. There has been an art shop on the site for the last 21 years and for the last six it has been owned by CJ Graphics, selling paints and specialist equipment.

Graham Beton, branch manager, said: "When we took over it was primarily an arts shop and we turned it into a fun place to come.

"We supply the artists and we make it fun because that is the way it should be.

"It has been a nice six years here, and it is very sad to see it coming to an end. It's like watching the waves come and wash it all away."

Rapid, the company, which owned the art shop, decided to close because it specialises in computer equipment.

Mr Beton and shop manager Martin Andrew had put in a last-minute financial package themselves to take over the profitable shop but the landlord refused them the lease in favour of Whitbread. The corporation has put in a planning application to turn the site into a coffee shop as part of its Costa Coffee chain, bringing the total of coffee shops to seven in Bond Street alone.

Mr Beton said: "Rapid wasn't interested in the retail side so it went to the landlord and said two men want to buy the business. Everything was set up with financial security and a business plan but the landlord said it was too much of a financial risk."

Pamela Middleton, a freelance graphic artist, said: "I go to the Sussex Arts Club so I buy my materials there. It's so useful and the staff are so pleasant and helpful.

"I will be sad to see it go, because it has been there quite a while, and I am sure a lot of students will be sad because they will have to travel a lot farther to buy their art equipment."

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove Council confirmed an application had been submitted to change the use of the site to a coffee shop from retail. She said a decision would be made in a few weeks following consultation with neighbouring stores.

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