Sporting chance for Homemaker store

A sports store must ensure its retail operation is restricted to 20 per cent of its floor space to gain Bunbury City Council approval.

The council has given national sporting retailer SportsPower time to review its application to create a new showroom store on Sandridge Road.

SportsPower wants to create a "destination" store that will showcase bigger items such as gym and sporting equipment.

However, the company must review its floor plan to make sure it complies with planning regulations.

It is a similar situation that thwarted gourmet food store Rusticana from moving out of the central business district to the Homemaker Centre on Blair Street.

Bunbury planning regulations state that retail stores should be located in the CBD.

The council has fought the Rusticana and SportsPower proposals because it claims the outlets are not allowed to operate outside these areas.

Mayor Gary Brennan said the planning regulations were designed to protect "the integrity of the CBD".

But in a compromise decision based on a previous ruling by the State Administrative Tribunal, SportsPower will be given the chance to redesign its floor plan to restrict its retail operation to 20 per cent of the store.

SportsPower general manager Terry Dopper, who travelled from Melbourne to address councillors at last week's meeting, said the company wanted to create a showroom store that was unique.

"We want to work with them to make sure both parties are happy," Mr Dopper said. "It would be great for the community, there is no doubt."

Mr Dopper said the company wanted to locate its new store on Sandridge Road because the premises was the right size in the right location.

"You can't do that this type of concept in the CBD," Mr Dopper said.

"You can't walk up the street with a table tennis table on a trolley."

The store SportsPower wants to move into was previously tenanted by a hardware store.