One hundred sites in Oxford have been identified for possible development to address the city’s housing shortage.

A list has been drawn up by Oxford City Council after landowners and developers were invited to submit sites that could be built on.

The council says all the sites have potential to be developed as housing, student accommodation, shops or offices. Some of the larger sites could provide homes for hundreds of people, with the smallest plots only able to take 12 dwellings.

With the city anxious to create more affordable housing, the search for available land has been intensified by the city.

Sites have been located in East Oxford, Cowley and North Oxford.

And it is hoped sufficient land would become available to allow the regeneration of Blackbird Leys. This could involve the demolition of properties as well as building on empty sites.

Colin Cook, pictured, council executive member responsible for city development, said building in Blackbird Leys would be a priority.

With prospects fading of thousands of new homes being created on land south of Grenoble Road, he said renewed efforts needed to be made to improve the estate.

Mr Cook said: “With some sites, it will be a question of going back to the drawing board and trying to increase the density. In some cases it will be a matter of trying to join up small plots of land.

“But some new opportunities have come up, with developers bringing to our attention new sites.”

The full list of the potential locations is still being kept under wraps by the Town Hall, with the council planning a major consultation exercise. Five planning events will be held between November 24 and December 4 to gauge local opinion about the sites.

The Town Hall said “no-hoper sites” on greenfield sites and flood plains have already been excluded.

Mr Cook said: “There is a real opportunity for regeneration in Blackbird Leys.

“There are certainly some developers very keen to bring forward development in this area. But we need to make sure that it is not done piecemeal.

“With the prospect of building south of Grenoble Road going off course, we need to make Blackbird Leys more of a centre. The shops are small and there are areas there that can be used more efficiently.”

Sites known to be on the list are the council’s Cowley Marsh depot and Diamond Place, in Summertown.

The large North Oxford site includes the University of Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations building and a car park.

It is understood that the Diamond Place site is viewed as suitable for a mixed-use development of housing, offices and retail.

The list of 100 does not include significant development proposals in the city centre. Nor are plans included for 1,000 homes in Barton and the 200-home development proposed near the Pear Tree roundabout.