Developer Peter Everitt claims Horsham District Council has taken too long over an application to convert the property at 50 Barrington Road from commercial to residential use.

The Horsham developer announced this week that he would withdraw the application and turn the cold store behind the former LH Mills Jr family butcher's into a massage parlour and sex shop if the council did not determine it soon.

"There's no passing trade down that road so people would have to come to you," he said.

"A corner shop or a hairdresser is no good – so if they want shops, I'll give them a shop.

"I don't live in the area, so I don't care what goes on," he added.

Mr Everitt caused outrage in February 2006 when he put forward a plan to turn the former butcher's shop itself into a sex shop.

Read the full story in this week's County Times.

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