New plans have been submitted to replace a Felixstowe seafront attraction with a £3million project featuring flats and new tourism facilities.

Family Amusements has withdrawn its original plans for the Adventure Golf site in Sea Road and has scaled-down its proposals following consultation with planners.

East Suffolk Council officials were particularly concerned at the design and size of the proposed new building.

The new plans feature 14 flats - four of which will be short-term holiday lets - instead of the original 16 apartments, and tourism-related uses, possibly shops and cafes, on the ground floor.

The site has been home to the golf attraction since 1998, and before that was a beach hut site.

Family Amusements, which also owns an arcade on the seafront and the town's pier, has offered to pay to replace the Adventure Golf with a new golf attraction on the unused council-owned gardens opposite the site between the sea wall and prom.

However, architect Robert Allerton, on behalf of the applicants, said: "Regrettably, East Suffolk Council declined to allow any development on this land despite having no clear or defined plans for the use of the land and the entire cost of the proposals being born by the applicant."

In a planning statement on behalf of the developers, East Coast Planning Services said commercial uses on Sea Road "struggle to survive and the current miniature golf facility is no exception", saying it is no longer viable due to lack of footfall.

It said: "Moreover, the miniature golf facility did not make efficient use of this prominently located site. It is the applicants’ firm belief that redevelopment of the site for residential purposes with commercial uses at ground floor level represents the optimum use of the site.

"This meets the council’s aspirations relating to the promotion of tourism and leisure, whilst boosting the supply of housing and presenting an opportunity for significant environmental enhancement."

The previous proposals gained approval from the Felixstowe Society, but a number of residents and the town council opposed them.

Felixstowe Town Council said it would have a "significant detrimental impact" on the Conservation Area and was against policy because it does not promote “high-intensity tourist uses” and does not meet the requirement that “proposals should consider the whole site for resort-related uses to provide a vibrant mix of activities”.