Fresh plans to create a boundary which allows for exceptions to Jewish Sabbath rules has been approved by Southend Council.

The boundary is known as an “eruv” and will create a continuous circular perimeter made up of 40 poles placed around Westcliff.

An eruv, marked out by the poles, is an area within which observant Jews can carry or push objects on the Sabbath - which lasts from sunset on Friday to sunset on Saturday - without violating a Jewish law which prohibits carrying anything except within the home.

There are hundreds of eruvs across the world.

Each pole will be connected by a clear wire similar to a fishing wire and range in height from 5.5 metres to 1.05 metres.

Initial plans for the eruv were given planning permission by Southend Council in October last year with the boundary created in locations ranging from Chalkway Avenue, the Ridgeway, Hillside Crescent and Manchester Drive to Lancaster Gardens, Queensway and the High Street.

But the Westcliff Jewish Association submitted a number of changes to the plan to avoid impacting on public footpaths.

This includes no longer building three poles on a footpath next to the railway and near to Leonard Road. Instead these will be built on Station Road.

Poles due to be built crossing a footpath on Darlinghurst Grove have also been relocated to be alongside it and a pole that was to be built on the footpath next to East Street Railway Bridge has been moved to be further away from the railway.

Two black metal arches are also planned for Bridgewater Drive and on Carlingford Drive.

These changes were unanimously approved by councillors at a Development Control Committee meeting on Wednesday afternoon.

Approval has come despite the plans facing a number of objections, with 11 households raising concerns during a public consultation, as well as the Conservation Association Westcliff Seaboard.

Planning documents show that residents believe the perimeter is “inappropriate”, “out of character” and “street clutter”.

In one complaint, a resident said Westcliff is a multi-religious area and it is wrong for “one small group to impose their culture”.

The Conservation Association Westcliff Seaboard said it would “deface the streetscape of the immediate area in Westcliff”.