A £570k children's soft play area - including contemporary café with patio seating overlooking the water meadows in Sudbury has been approved for the Kingfisher Leisure Centre.

Work on the new facility, which will cater for children up to eight years old, including parties and special occasion is due to start this summer with a Christmas opening in the pipeline.

The plans for the "quirky" extension on the side of the Kingfisher Leisure Centre includes a timber cladding, a pitched roof and coloured "peek" windows, which will give outsiders a view of the play equipment inside.

The 2,873 square foot play centre will boast a new café area. Plans have now been approved by Babergh District Council's strategy committee, although final design plans are still to be approved by planning.

Tracey Copping, Chief Executive of South Suffolk Leisure which runs the centre said. "We are delighted to be working on providing a new and exciting facility for your youngest users.

"We also feel that it is important to provide a great parent experience, so that designs have taken into account an area where parents can view their children playing while reading their paper, using their laptop or enjoying a great cup of coffee.