FRESH proposals have been unveiled to build a new HQ for Winchester City Council.

It currently has five main offices in the city, and wants to merge them together along with one single reception.

Not only would it save money, but also make it easier for residents to access services, the council says.

The idea of building a new HQ first emerged in October 2003.

At the time, the council estimated that £9m could be raised from selling its current sites, including the current HQ in Colebrook Street and Abbey Mill nearby.

The parking office in Friarsgate, the planning department at Chesil Street, and the Historic Resources Centre in Hyde were also proposed for sale.

The money raised would then cover the new HQ's cost, meaning that taxpayers would not be out of pocket.

Originally, the council-owned car park in Middle Brook Street was a front runner to accommodate the building.

However, George Beckett, who leads the Conservative-run authority, ruled it out of contention on Monday.

He said: "We are not proposing to use Middle Brook Street for the redevelopment of the council offices."

Instead, following a feasibility study that began last year, the authority has decided that Colebrook Street is more promising.

The revised plans would see the demolition of the current HQ, which dates from the 1960s.

Its replacement would be cheaper to maintain, leading to long-term savings of up to £1.5m, council officers said.

Mr Beckett added that some parking spaces at Colebrook Street might be lost as a result.

Blueprints for the new HQ are yet to be drawn up, and the exact cost is currently unknown.

However, Mr Beckett said the officers would aim to produce a scheme that could be paid for by selling or letting the council's other sites.

The building project's start date is not yet known, but is unlikely to be within the next couple of years.

Mr Beckett said they needed to decide whether to delay the works until the £100m revamp of the area between The Broadway and Friarsgate was finished.

He added that he would prefer to run both projects at once to minimise the length of disruption.

Once completed, the new HQ is likely to have 100 fewer workstations than the council's current offices, said Mr Beckett.

He stressed that "hot-desking" and moving some staff away from Winchester, rather than job cuts, would make the reduction possible.

The plans for the replacement HQ are due to come before the full council on Wednesday, July 19.

If members back the idea in principle, officers will begin to produce firm proposals for the Colebrook Street site.