At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Craig Mackinlay MP called on Theresa May and the Government to give Thanet “as reasonable time as necessary, perhaps under a new administration, to get our Local Plan right”.
The South Thanet MP’s demand came in the wake of the decision by Thanet’s Councillors on 18 January to vote down the Draft Local Plan which sought a change of status for Manston axing aviation-only status in favour of a mixed-use designation to include 2,500 homes.
Craig Mackinlay MP said:
“I have been saying for as long as anybody will listen that Thanet with Manston for aviation is a wholly different Thanet from one without. The timings of the Local Plan and with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government pushing for completed Local Plans across the country adds to complications, but ideally, we need a Plan of two halves – a short-term plan for the next few years, and then a longer plan thereafter once the Manston issue is finally decided and settled.
“The Prime Minister gave a clear signal that Thanet’s Local Plan needs to be completed – I agree with her. It is my view that with political will it can be completed within an agreed timescale, maintaining Manston’s designation for aviation use and with the 2,500 houses and other ‘mixed use’ earmarked for the site in the flawed plan simply taken out.”
Craig’s PMQ can be viewed here.