HOT and spicy is back on the menu! A long running saga over an empty Ipswich premises set to be turned into a sex shop ended with the opening of an Indian takeaway.

By Amanda Cresswell

HOT and spicy is back on the menu!

A long running saga over an empty Ipswich premises set to be turned into a sex shop ended with the opening of an Indian takeaway.

Businessmen Peter Marjoram hit the headlines a year ago after he threatened to turn the empty Heath Road site into an adult store after residents objected to a pizza parlour.

In a saucy move he claimed there was no option but to turn it into an adult shop – which doesn't need planning permission – after an Ipswich Borough Council committee refused the go-ahead for a pizza place on grounds of road safety.

But Mr Marjoram won on appeal and was granted permission for the Delta takeaway run by Mohammed Ali.

The 51-year-old said: "It has been a three-year battle but now instead of the pizza place an Indian Takeaway is up and running.

"People at the council couldn't see common sense so a traffic survey was done which me cost quite a lot of money and the evidence was put towards the appeal officer. Basically the council decision was over ruled by the government."

He said the takeaway is a much-needed gap and the site means that it can also serve the people working in the hospital.

"You can't have an empty premises left like that," said Mr Marjoram who refused to give up hope to open it up as a takeaway.

"The opening up of superstores means there are only certain things you can turn it into and a takeaway was one of those things."

The shop was owned by the butcher David Mickelsen who sold it to Mr Marjoram.

During the lengthy battle over the change of use the original prospective tenant pulled out so Mohammed Ali took his place. He spent £40,000 refurbishing the site and opened Delta earlier this month.

Mr Ali also has Eastern Spice on Woodbridge Road which two years ago was named one of the top six curry houses in the UK by the Curry Club of Britain.

An Ipswich Borough Council spokesman said: " We did not consider our

decision unreasonable as we believed there to be a traffic safety issue

arising from the proposal.

"The planning inspectorate reviewed the evidence at the appeal and decided in favour of Mr Marjoram last September.

"He did seek to claim costs against the Council but the inspector refused his

application, indicating that the Council had not acted unreasonably. "