A NEW soft play area could be coming to the heart of the city after plans have been submitted to civic chiefs.

Farplace Animal Rescue located in the Marlands Shopping Centre on High Street could be turned into a two-storey indoor soft play area for children.

The units 40 - 46 are located at the first and second floors of the western side of of the Marlands Shopping Centre.

The first floor is vacant A1 retail space split between two units with both units having associated storage space at the second floor level.

The play zone, which has been proposed by company Soft Brick, will feature four different areas for children to explore.

Plans have been submitted for a two-tier structure which will include a twin-lane wavy slide of 2m, a tube slide of 2m and a racing open slide of 2m.

It will also feature an electronic piano feature, an eye-spy live-action panel, and a ballpool feature with a ball juggler.

The structure will also have a whirlpool deck, a curbed rainbow bridge, a crawl tube and a "Walk of Fear" polycarb deck.

The area will also be themed with dangling items and a soft agility feature.

The Battlezone Area will feature ball cannons and light-up cannon targets as well as wobbly characters and a pyramid deck.

The Role-Play and Sensory Zone will feature a role-play cafe and shop along with a sensory area, a rainbow tube and a whirlpool deck.

The Toddler Soft Play Area is to feature a twin-lane slide, a ballpool, hidey holes, a talking tree feature, an eye-spy live action panel, themed loose soft play and wall activity panels.

There are also plans for a seating area for parents to sit and safely watch their children play.

Soft Brick's agent Williams Gallagher said in the planning application: "Unit 40-45 was previously leased to Market Gallery in 2009 with Unit 46 also being leased to Market Gallery from early 2011.

"Market Gallery returned the units to Ellandi LLP on 18th February 2017 and they remained empty until Farplace took occupation on 1st November 2017. Farplace are a temporary tenant mitigating rates and are soon to vacate the units due to trading difficulties.

"During the period of occupation by Farplace, the Units have been marketed extensively by Jamieson Mills for a permanent tenant but there have been no enquiries for the units with the exception of the current soft play operator."