A development plan for Strathfieldsaye Plaza was lodged with the City of Greater Bendigo earlier this month.

The development – bordered by Club Court, Wellington Street and Uxbridge Street – is set to include a supermarket, specialty shops and a large car park.

A spokesman for the developer Maverston Properties said he was in discussion with one of the “big two” supermarkets to anchor the site.

“We anticipate we won’t have too many in the way of specialty shops, maybe five or six,” he said.

“Something like a cafe, bakery or a chicken shop, those kinds of things.” The spokesman said there were also two large “pad sites” set aside for further development.

“That is vacant land that will form stage two of the development once we have a better idea of what sort of additional uses would benefit the community,” he said.

“I have already spoken to a number of neighbours and one of them noted Strathfieldsaye lacks a gymnasium.

“So that’s something we can look at down the track.

“A gym’s something good to have next to a school so parents can drop their kids off and go to the gym.”

The spokesman said developers hoped to start building next year.

“It will depend on what the planning process is,” he said. “Once they have been resolved we will be looking to proceed.”

But the spokesman said he was confident of public and council support.

“Virtually everybody I have spoken to, all of the feedback has been that Strathfieldsaye requires a second shopping centre,” he said. 

“The council’s own demographics support that.”

The shopping centre’s development plan is on public display at the City of Greater Bendigo council offices for the next fortnight.