Westminster officials have ruled that thousands of new homes must be built in Thanet. The question now is whether to build them on multiple sites around the isle, including on prime agricultural land, or to use the redundant site of the former Manston Airport.
BBC Radio Kent were discussing this thorny issue this morning and asked myself and Councillor Stuart Piper to air our opinions. A recording of the call is below.
It really is time to move forward in Thanet. Manston Airport is not commercially viable. There is no need for an air cargo hub, with capacity easily available elsewhere in places with existing infrastructure.
We do need homes, decent jobs, an increase to council tax receipts. We desperately need to grasp the opportunity for 400 social homes NOW! Plus hundreds of affordable homes.
Building 2,500 homes piece meal across Thanet is ‘plane crazy’. That actually will place real pressure on all our services.
Now is the time to move forward with confidence!