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Thanet Council leader Chris Wells defends authority's track record

The leader of Thanet council has defended the authority's track record since Ukip took control in 2015 - by publishing a five-page document listing what it claims are more than 60 achievements in two years.

The dossier - described as a mid-term review - omits any reference to the re-opening of Manston as an airport, however, the party's key campaign commitment at the election.

Cllr Chris Wells said Manston was omitted because the fate of the former airport site remained unresolved and there remained "no credible solution" for using the site for aviation purposes.

Chris Wells
Chris Wells

But in a surprising comment, he said the site could combine both aviation use with the mixed business and housing development plan being put forward by the current owners Stone Hill Park.

"We have evidence at the moment that says under normal conditions, aviation is not viable at this site.

"That doesn't mean aviation can't be part of this site under mixed use - it's just not sterilised for aviation purposes only.

"It is a big site and there is room for other things to happen without destroying the runway."

The publication of the mid-term report coincides with the news that the council had been lavished with praise by an independent inspection team, who described the way it was run as being the "envy of many district councils in the land".

The inspection by a panel of experts who said the council had succeeded in going from toxic to award-winning in a couple of years.

Cllr Wells denied the dossier amounted to propaganda - but accepted it might not be seen as balanced by some and that some of the achievements were not down to Ukip alone.

The Manston airport site.
The Manston airport site.

"We have been working away at doing a variety of things and it is easy to forget what we have achieved.

"People are always prepared to talk about what we haven’t achieved.”

Among the achievements highlighted are:

A mass crackdown on rogue landlords in Margate, resulting in more than 400 breach of conditions and 57 notices to take action;

The first area in the south east to get money to improve conditions in homes from the government’s Controlling Migration Fund;

Securing £70,000 to tackle domestic abuse and victim support;

Expanding the Margate Task Force into Ramsgate;

Introducing new fixed penalty notices for litter dropping, spitting and dog fouling - with 1,277 notices issued.

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