COSTA Coffee is set to move back into The Brooks Shopping Centre – in the same unit which it used to occupy.

Plans have been submitted for the High Street chain to move into unit 11 on the ground floor which it vacated back in 2014, having been there since 1999.

The retailer currently has a branch in Winchester High Street, but it is unclear whether this will move into the Brooks or if there will be two separate branches.

The Chronicle asked Costa why they were moving back into the same unit they previously vacated, as well as whether the application meant the chain would be leaving or staying in its current site on Winchester High Street, but a spokeswoman said they didn’t have anything to confirm with regards to the application.

In a statement, Costa said: “As the nation’s favourite coffee shop brand we’re all about serving great coffee and being an active part of communities all over the country.

“As part of Costa’s ongoing property strategy, we continue to review all locations and work closely with landlords and planning departments to open stores for the benefit of communities, creating jobs and getting involved in fundraising and local events.”

When Costa first opened in The Brooks in 1999 it was one of the first coffee shops in the city centre.

Now there are around a dozen depending on how you define a ‘coffee shop’.