Bermuda could have its own purpose-built motor sports venue -- if Government would give the green light by offering a permanent site.

Members of the Bermuda Motorcycle Racing Club currently meet at the Southside raceway in St David's.

But they say they don't know how much longer they will be able to use the venue and are suggesting a permament home could be found for them at the former Naval Annex at Morgan's Point in Southampton.

They also say they have people interested in backing a move that would see a venue constructed capable of staging top-class events, involving not only Islanders but those from other nations.

Vice-president of the club, Grant Goudge said: "People are chomping at the bit to set it up properly, but no-one wants to spend any money until we are given a guarrantee of where we are going to be and how long we are going to have it for.

"There are a lot of people with money -- go-karters and us -- that want to get the thing rolling.'' Goudge said proposals had been submitted but as yet the club had not received any concrete answers.

"It would be a purpose-built motor facility. We have put proposals forward that would involve not just us but go-karts, pedal cyclists, motocross, BMX, rollerblades and a road facility better than the car park at TCD where they could actually test people rather than just going up and down,'' he said. "We have put all this forward to people but until someone actually says `Right you can have Morgan's Point' or whatever no-one is going to start throwing money at it.'' Goudge said the club had proper, well thought-out plans that would provide a facility which would be of use to generations of Islanders.

"We have been to architects, we have got plans for tracks but we are not going to get any further than that,'' he said.

Goudge and club president David Jones Sr. said it had been suggested that their preferred site, Morgan's Point, might be transformed into a golf course.

"We've heard things such as the caves underneath there are leaking oil and so why are they thinking of putting a golf course and condominiums down there?'' Jones said.

Goudge said the club appreciated land was a valuable commodity in Bermuda, but they were not asking for a huge area. "You would not need a great amount of space. The bit they have allocated us is suitable. We can get a half-a-mile straight in there in just over a mile of track which is the minimum international requirement. Once you have got that the door is open to be racing internationally and have people come over,'' he said. Dennis Lister, Minister of Youth Sport and Recreation, said he would not be drawn on the issue of Morgan's Point but added general discussions with the club were ongoing.

"They fall in the category of, how shall I put it, other sports that are sort of extreme sports,'' Lister said. "Right now they don't have somewhere that they can say is their permanent home which they could use as a facility, full time, all time. The conversations centre around how we can work together to try and accomodate them in such a facility.'' He added: "We have had conversations and those are ongoing. I don't think either one of us has walked away from the meetings feeling there is no future in the conversations -- I think there is a lot of future in the conversations.

We are prepared to ensure those conversations continue,'' he said.