Bermuda Triathlon Association is spearheading a bid to secure the area close to Clearwater Beach as an outdoor pursuits venue in conjunction with its current use as a public park.

The BTA along with Bermuda Bicycle Association currently use the Southside beach area and road system for racing and junior training and the concern is that future development at Southside should take into account the needs of the triathletes and cyclists and other sporting groups who have extensive race schedules and highly successful junior programmes.

BTA president Charles Duffy said encouraging meetings had been held with Sports Minister Randy Horton last year and with the Bermuda Land Development Corporation, but as yet no assurances had been provided.

However, he said both the Minister and the BLDC were sympathetic to both sports' needs.

Duffy said that this year the BTA along with other interested sporting bodies would be making a concerted effort to secure a home for their respective sports.

Ideally, the BTA would like the area turned into a recreational area for the enjoyment of residents and tourists alike, as well as a venue for triathlon, cycling and some motor sport events.

Both the BBA and the BTA have been staging events at the former baselands for almost 30 years and Duffy said he believed something could be done with a minimum of disruption to the lives of those that live in the area and others that use the park.

He said the area was the only real option open to the BTA at the moment although he cited the old Southampton Naval Annex as possibly a venue for the future.

"Basically, all we want to do is secure the area for the future on the grounds that we can't really operate anywhere else," said Duffy. "Particularly with the juniors - we can't send them out on the roads anywhere else on the Island. We really need to be at Southside or the place at Southampton just from a safety point of view."

David Morrison, who for a number of years spearheaded the BTA's efforts to secure the area as an outdoor pursuits and recreational park, said: "Jeff Conyers of our association plans to initiate discussions in the next few weeks with those parties responsible for the Southside area development.

"We recognise that there are many competing interests who would like use of this area, but we believe that there is a recognition that a part of these lands should be set aside to accommodate these sports and recreational cyclists, runners and walkers."

Morrison said he felt that turning the area into an outdoor pursuits and recreational park would, in the long term, be of benefit to the whole Island and noted that even a major city like New York closes Central Park to traffic on weekends to allow for recreational cyclists, runners and walkers.

Morrison also said that the area, with its nature reserve, beach, park, cinema, bowling alley and restaurants and possibilities for coastal paths for mountain biking and walking, could become a major tourist attraction if properly managed and serviced.

"Bermuda is rapidly becoming one big suburb of houses, roads and unrelenting traffic," he said. "If the Southside area goes completely this way we will have lost the last chance to set aside some roadways, at a minimum for part of each week, for these sporting and recreational activities.

"Cycling and triathlon have developed some outstanding junior programmes that have produced world class athletes such as Elliott Hubbard and Tyler Butterfield who have been great ambassadors for Bermuda.

"Bermuda's junior triathletes and cyclists travel abroad every year and have had tremendous success.

"Without a venue to race and train these thriving sports would struggle to survive."