THREE key Derby city centre sites have been shortlisted as the location for a potential new council "super HQ".

The three sites involved are the former police and magistrates court in Full Street, Heritage Gate where the council currently has offices – including Saxon House and Roman House – and the Riverlights development, which is currently under construction.

The companies behind each site will now be asked to submit outline proposals to provide one of two options – either a large office building to be the council's single new headquarters in place of the Council House in Corporation Street, or a smaller building to complement a refurbished Council House.

David Osborne, director of Riverlights Ltd said the council's plans could mean resurrecting proposals for offices at Riverlights.

That aspect was postponed indefinitely due to the credit crunch and Mr Osborne has been concentrating on creating the bus station, casino and hotels which form the bulk of the £100m development.

Mr Osborne said: "We have always had consent for an office scheme on the front of Riverlights, facing the main road, and it would be great from the council's perspective because it would be right next to the bus station and we are also already on site so are able to work on the development.

"When we look at the criteria we genuinely believe we tick more boxes than any other site put forward. We believe we are an ideal solution for the council but the ball is in the council's court on how they wish to move forward."

Aviva Investors did not want to comment on its proposals for Heritage Gate, and Wilson Bowden did not respond to calls from the Derby Telegraph about its proposals for Full Street.

The council is keen to stimulate Derby's economy by closing offices it has across the city centre to make way for new developments.

Councillor Mike Carr, cabinet member for direct and internal services said he was pleased work towards finding new accommodation for the authority was progressing.

"This will be good for the council and the city because it will stimulate the construction industry, give a sign the city is still moving forward and will also provide jobs."

He said the overriding criteria which had influenced decision-making over the shortlist was whether or not the site was owned by the developer and that was why the Becketwell area, widely thought of as a key regeneration site, was not included.

"Site ownership was key. I would have liked to do something with the former Debenhams site in Becketwell but although various developers put forward options, they didn't own the site.

"It is a high risk to develop proposals on the basis the developer could get hold of the building when we, as a council, have tried ownership ourselves and not secured it in the past."

Another site which failed to make the shortlist was the Norseman Investments proposed development in Traffic Street.

Mr Carr said: "The main developer who came back expressing disappointment about not being shortlisted was Norseman but we want to try to keep the council accommodation in the inner ring road."

Duncan Ashby of Norseman said: "Maybe the council didn't want to realise our site because we have been working with the city council in trying to attract big Government departments who are potentially relocating out of the South East and big private companies too.

"To a certain extent if the site had been taken up by the local authority it would have prevented us achieving other investments so it was provably the correct decision for the city."

A final decision on which option to progress with is expected to be made by the authority later this year.