Plans to breathe new life into Gloucester city centre have been backed by councillors.

Gloucester City Council Cabinet yesterday considered proposals to boost the regeneration of the city with a plan to bring empty or derelict buildings back into use.

The plan, which could see almost 200 new homes created, will provide much needed housing and give a lift to the city centre economy by bringing more people to live in the heart of the city.

Five initial sites have been earmarked for redevelopment, including the former Fortis Insurance building at 67-69 London Road in Kingsholm which has been boarded up and empty for over a decade.

The site could be used to provide up to 60 homes. The council has previously made attempts to work with the owner but the council is now set to push ahead with either supporting redevelopment or using a compulsory purchase order to buy the site.

Spread Eagle Court at 106-114 Northgate Street is also on the list. Empty for several years and having fallen into disrepair, the building could be used for around 40 homes.

20-26 The Oxbode, opposite the university's new campus in the former Debenhams, has also been identified for housing. If converted, retail units will be retained on the ground floor, with the upper floors providing up to six apartments.

The council-owned Wessex House, between the railway station and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, will be considered for 45 new homes.

Finally, the second phase of Whitefriars is to be made a priority, with the development of 32 apartments on the former Thai restaurant site on Market Parade.

Council leader Jeremy Hilton told the meeting the proposals were kickstarting some sites in Gloucester that desperately needed attention.

Cllr Hilton said: "If we succeed on all of these projects we will probably create about 180 houses within the centre of Gloucester. Gloucester doesn't have a lot of land inside it for housing development so we are going to have to look at sites like this to fill in the jigsaw of regeneration that The Forum is providing us.

"We will have more people living in the city centre with the university and The Forum. More people living in the city centre might encourage some of the retailers to come back into Gloucester. We need to bring more life back into the city centre and that's what we intend to do with these five projects."

Deputy council leader Declan Wilson said: "It's projects like this that will affect people's lives and it should be our focus and I'm glad we're taking the first steps and I very much welcome it."