FRESH plans for a play area on Shoebury Common could be approved after road safety concerns were answered.

The new planning application comes after members of the council’s development committee made the controversial decision to refuse planning permission over road safety fears.

The latest plan which outlines the creation of a play area using a “nautical theme” has addressed the concerns through a road safety assessment which concludes the design is safe.

Under the plans, the play areas would be divided into three sections. The first would be for toddlers and include climbing apparatus based around the design of a boat, which planning documents say “will appeal to this younger age range who thrive when using their imagination during their play”.

A slide, themed seesaw and a pirate ship would also be included.

Another area would be for children of all ages and include a climbing frame and a roundabout among others.

The final section of the play area is designed for an older children up to 14-years-old and consist of a large platform that children will have to work out how to reach using nets or by jumping from a climbing post.

Labour councillor Daniel Cowan, who is a member of the committee and voted in favour of the original plans, said he believes the committee’s decision in January was “wrong”.

“In this case, I personally struggle to find any reason and especially a reason in planning law to reject it,” he said.

“It met the criteria for policy, it had a huge amount of support from the local community and it was done in consultation with resident groups and councillors from across the chamber but it was rejected on safety issues.

"Planning officers responded to those concerns but that didn’t satisfy the majority.”

He added that arguments over safety centred on whether parents would let their children cross the road unsupervised but that is not a legitimate planning consideration.

When the decision was scrutinised by councillors in March it led to fierce arguments in the council chamber. The plans will be discussed during an upcoming development control committee.