THE Bendigo soccer community has called for the development of a regional sports complex to be considered separately to the Epsom shopping centre.
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They claim construction of a sports and community complex on the Midland Highway at Epsom is as important as a new shopping centre.
The soccer fraternity hopes any objection to the Howard Street proposal, which would have helped fund the new sports complex, will not jeopardise their bid.
City of Greater Bendigo councillors meet with the Epsom Huntly Action Group tonight to discuss the location of a new shopping centre.
The meeting follows a public meeting last week where objections to the council's proposal were strongly aired.
The council had planned to use the revenue from that sale of the site to help fund a regional sports complex on the Midland Highway.
The Howard Street reserve is home to the Epsom Soccer Club.
The club's president Thomas Cybula hopes the shopping centre debate will not affect the desperately needed sports complex.
He described the club's existing change rooms as "embarrassing" and said the club had outgrown the Howard Street reserve.
"They are the most run-down rooms in the league and for the third largest club in the league it is unfortunate," Mr Cybula said.
He said after two-and-a-half years of negotiation with the City of Greater Bendigo, the club had been excited about its future.
"We were happy with the outcome that we were going to be moving to a bigger and better site," he said.
"The type of facility we were looking at accommodated for soccer, rugby, cricket, football and indoor facilities, with a gymnasium, netball, volleyball and indoor soccer.
"It would be a community facility for scouts, girl guides and recreational walkers, with a playground and area for people to use for a picnic."
Bendigo Amateur Soccer League general manager Trevor McKerrow said he would recommend to his board that the league stay out of discussions and focus on having a new sports facility built.
"What we are asking of the council is also an important project that needs to be considered irrespective of where a shopping centre is developed."
Cr Kevin Gibbins described the regional sports complex proposal as absolutely brilliant.
He said discussions about the location of an Epsom shopping centre should not mean the sports complex is dropped.
Bendigo chief executive officer John McLean and Bendigo mayor David Jones both said the future of the sports complex would be part of the discussions with the Epsom community.
Epsom Huntly Action Group convenor Lisa Ruffell has been calling for the Howard Street site to be retained for recreation.
She also called for the council to refurbish the Howard Street site, as promised in 2003.
But Mr McLean said that project had fallen through because a $200,000 grant application was rejected.
