SENIOR councillors last night set in motion plans to regenerate Blackbird Leys to the tune of millions of pounds.

Oxford City Council’s executive board has given council officers approval to spend about £300,000 on finding and appointing a developer for the project.

The regeneration could include up to 190 new homes, new shops and a new community centre which could include a library and advice centre.

A report to senior councillors by officer Fiona Piercy said buildings from the Leys’ district centre – built in the 1950s and 1960s – were deteriorating and could prove costly to maintain.

She added: “The poor quality public realm, dominated by the highway, and fragmented land uses are unattractive and represent inefficient use of land which could be better used to address the housing shortage.”

The report said officers would draw up a masterplan to redevelop the area and also investigate ways of making housing available for key workers, such as teachers, nurses and technicians.

Work to deliver the scheme could begin in 2017 and Councillor Scott Seamons, executive board member for housing, has suggested it could take three to four years.

It would be in addition to the council’s commitment to refurbish the city’s five tower blocks, including Windrush and Evenlode in the Leys.

As revealed on May 29 in the Oxford Mail, that project has been delayed by almost a year because of scaffolding difficulties.