An unexpected revelation about the history of Soper Reserve could sway the council's decision on the sale of the reserve next to Brewer's Bar in Mount Maunganui.

Tauranga City Council is this week hearing submissions on its Ten Year Plan proposal to sell various parks and reserves in Tauranga including the reserve on Newton Street known as Brewers Field.

The Soper Reserve next to Brewer's Bar in Mount Maunganui.

The Soper family - past owners of the reserve - told SunLive today when the reserve was originally gifted to Mount Maunganui Borough Council in the early 1970s it included a buy-back option, should the council ever decide to sell.

'I think it is very poor of the council proposing to sell a property, which was more or less gifted to them to be used as a reserve,” says Graeme Soper, whose father Frederick William Soper owned the reserve in the 1970s.

'Is it their greed or stupidity, selling something that has been and still is being enjoyed by people of all walks of life. After all, my father was a very upstanding and well known person in Mount Maunganui, Tauranga and Rotorua community.”

Graeme's father Fred owned and operated the Midway Motorcamp property then accessed at the end of Aerodrome Road in the early 1970s. The camp was closed down after two young men staying at the camp where killed on a railway crossing.

'Two guys in their early 20s that were staying in the motor camp thought they could beat the train,” says Graeme.

Graeme says after the incident in the early 1970s his father closed the camp out of respect to the men's families.

The council also closed the railway crossing.

Graeme says the Midway Motorcamp encompassed six and a half acres of property including the Soper Reserve, which was in those days the paddock behind the stables.

Just last week Graeme's sisters visited the reserve for the first time in many years to scatter the ashes of their father, known as Fred, beneath the base of the pine tree.

'It's quite ironic. I didn't know there was a bar called the Brewer's Bar till Saturday. I haven't been in the Mount for a number of years, but I still remember that paddock,” says Graeme.

'Where the road is now that's were all the horse stables and everything used to be. He had race horses and show jumpers. He used to train his own race horses. One of them was Belle Marie, won one of the big races at Tauranga. She was a top horse.”

The name Brewer's Field is also ironic says Graeme, as his father was a dedicated home brewer, which raises the question of which brewer the field is actually named after.

'Just as you went in the gate beside the little shop was a little shed he called the brewery, and that's where he made his home brew. It was good stuff.”

Graeme says in the 70s the property past the Brewer's Bar was covered in pine forest and encompassed an orchard on the six and a half acre motor camp.

It was a really well set up motor camp, and was known throughout the country says Graeme.

Managing director of BOP Brewery Ltd Glen Miekle told the submissions hearing Graeme Soper would have put in a submission opposing the sale himself, but he didn't know the council intended to sell.

In the 12 years since Brewer's Bar has been operating, Glen's seen the reserve in regular use by a wide spectrum of the community, from people meeting for lunch, to sports clubs, fitness groups and people just walking dogs.

Of 160 submissions the council received opposing the sale of specific sites more than 50 opposed the sale of the Soper Reserve.

Glen had copies of the submission forms on hand when he told customers about the council plan.