City investors have confirmed they plan to examine whether there is potential for Manston to operate as an airport, it has emerged.

Disruptive Capital, based in London, is to commission its own study into the options for Manston as an aviation facility just months after Thanet District Council’s own study by consultants said there was no possibility of it being run as a viable airport.

That report led the council to controversially recommend Manston be designated as an appropriate area for a mixed development of housing and business in its strategic planning blueprint - the draft local plan - which is currently being consulted on.

Chris Wells, Ukip leader of Thanet council confirmed the investors' interest at a meeting of the supporters group Man Up on Saturday.

He said: "Earlier this week Disruptive Capital, a city investment company, informed me out of courtesy they are commissioning a report to judge the viability of their plan for Manston Airport.

"This independent report will provide their investment committee with an assessment of project viability for continuing an aviation facility on this site."

"It is their report, undertaken to assess their potential risk and reward and none of us should expect to hear more until this report has been completed and considered by their investment decision processes."

The future of Manston has been uncertain since it closed in 2014. The site was bought by business partners Trevor Cartner and Chris Musgrave, who plan to redevelop it for housing and business use and renamed it Stone Hill Park.

Campaigners were left bitterly disappointed when the Ukip-led council decided that it could no longer support reopening it for some kind of aviation facility.

However, the potential interest of city investors will come as a fillip to supporters, who have been in touch with one of its senior figures, Edi Truell, for several months.

Last year, he approached the council, the site’s owners and campaigners about his interest.

In an email since made public, he said: “I and my infrastructure investment team believe there is a real case for the restoration of airport operations at Manston.

"This is predicated on the assurances we have had from Kent County Council and Thanet that a fast rail link can be established as well as encouragement from the owners they would at least consider an airport rather than a mass housing project.”

"Recently, I have had significant interest from far eastern airlines in operating into Manston for long-haul flights coming in to the UK in the early morning.

"I would like it put on the record that we are very interested in investing in the new facilities acquired to create a proper long haul destination.

"We will also ensure that we acquire the interest of the current owners at a fair price and have indeed made several proposals to them.”

The owners say the study is unlikely to change anything and they are sticking by their plans.

In a statement, they said there had been meetings with Disruptive Capital as “a matter of courtesy".

“The view of Stone Hill Park has not changed one bit in the months since and certainly not in the wake of Mr Truell’s plan to carry out a viability plan into the use of Manston as an airport.”

“This is the latest in a series of studies that have been carried out in recent years, all of which have reached the same conclusion – a commercial airport at this location is not viable.”

Stone Hill Park spokesman Ray Mallon, said: “Every reputable study that has been carried out on the site in recent years has concluded that aviation is not viable and I’m sure the result will be the same in this case.”