Wayne Milburn, who operates a mower repairs business in the factory next to Dance Lab in Simcock Street, has applied to open an ‘adult toys and books’ shop in the factory.

More than 90 parents whose children attend the dance school have written to Mornington Peninsula Shire objecting to the sex shop.

Emily Grainger established the school three years ago and has built a clientele of more than 200 children aged from three to young adult.

‘‘If [the adult store] went ahead I would have to relocate my business,’’ she said yesterday (Tuesday). ‘‘With children being exposed to that sort of material and their parents having to explain to them all the time, I would definitely lose clients.’’

Simcock Street is in an industrial estate, where planning regulations allow for an ‘‘adult sex bookshop’’ if it is at least 200 metres from houses, shops and schools.

Mr Milburn has applied to open the shop from 10am-midnight Tuesday to Friday, 9am-midnight on Saturday and 11am-10pm on Sunday. It would be called ‘Tickles’.

‘‘I spent a long time thinking of a name without the word sex in it,’’ he said. ‘‘In the dictionary it says ‘tickles’ means ‘joy and laughter’. If someone was walking past with their granddaughter and she said, ‘Gran, what’s tickles?’ you just have to tickle her under the arm and that’s all it is — joy and laughter.’’

He said he purchased the factory in 1998 with the express purpose of opening an adult store and vowed to ‘‘pursue it to much higher places’’ if his application was rejected by Mornington Peninsula Shire.

Mr Milburn countered objections by claiming the dance school was an ‘‘offensive business’’ in an industrial zone.

‘‘Some of my customers who bring their mowers here for repairs have said they are offended by young girls in their leotards standing around outside the ballet school,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ve been trying to sell the factory ever since they moved in but no one will buy it after they see the number of cars parked out there in the afternoon, so I have to pursue a business that will give me a return.’’

Ms Grainger said her pupils were not allowed to play or congregate outside the studio and she was working with parents to ensure their parking did not affect other businesses in the area.

Mr Milburn’s application is yet to be assessed by the shire’s planning department. Watson Ward councillor Lynn Bowden could not be contacted for comment yesterday.