A court ruling against a third runway at Heathrow has led to a call for Manston Airport to be reopened immediately.

North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale said the decision made by the High Court against expansion at Heathrow made it all the more important the redevelopment plans for Manston as a cargo freight hub were given the green light.

The government recently announced that it was extending the deadline for a crucial decision on whether to allow Manston to be designated as a nationally important infrastructure project.

A decision on whether to agree to grant the owners of the former airport a development consent order - effectively protecting it for aviation use - had been expected last month.

Sir Roger said he had approached the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps to press him to reach a decision as soon as possible.

He said: “In the light of the judgement on the third runway at Heathrow, it is more important than ever that we get Manston up and flying again as swiftly as possible. Post-Brexit Britain is going to need additional air freight and passenger capacity of the kind that Manston can offer swiftly.

"The UK is losing business to Schiphol, Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt and Dubai and that cannot be allowed to continue if we are to prosper as a trading nation after 31st December."

Manston was first used as a site for flights in the early 20th century and has had many periods of inactivity, last operating as an airport in 2014.

The site is earmarked for aviation in Thanet District Council's draft Local Plan, providing the DCO is granted.

Despite little evidence of funding yet provided by RSP, as well as no aerodrome or planes, Sir Roger describes the site as "shovel-ready".

He said: "Manston has been an airport for more than a hundred years, is designated as an airport in the Local Plan and is `shovel ready` in terms of development with many millions of pounds available for investment in a state-of-the-art net zero carbon modernisation. I have asked the Secretary of State to expedite the decision on the Development Consent Order so that work can commence without further delay. We have no more time to lose."

The government has said that it was deferring a decision on the DCO until May to allow further representations to be made “on a range of issues”.

The airport closed in 2014, with owner Ann Gloag deciding to pull down the shutters in a move that seemed to sound the death knell for Manston.

RiverOak Strategic Partners, the consortium behind the scheme, had applied for the airport to be considered as a nationally significant infrastructure project.

KMTV reports on plans to reopen Manston

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