The Marine Management Organisation which is yet to decide whether Dover Harbour Board can dredge the Goodwin Sands, has reopened its public consultation.

The high level of public interest and national concern about the controversial dredging prompted the MMO to classify the harbour board’s licence application as a Select Case.

It has called a further public consultation period, running until Wednesday, November 16.

Save Our Sands campaigners are delighted and will be holding a public meeting at 4pm today (Saturday) at the Astor Theatre in Stanhope Road, Deal.

Campaign co-ordinator Joanna Thomson said: “This is great news. It means that lots of unanswered questions and concerns were raised from the Environmental Impact Assessment.

“The Ministry of Defence has now asked DHB to research and supply information regarding the location of military air crash sites.

“DHB has had to answer these questions and we can now comment on their replies.”

Anomalies in the proposed dredging zone have caused concern.

Mrs Thomson added: “The six anomalies in the dredging zone and the further eight on the boundary need investigating fully if DHB are to obtain their dredging licence.

“The MOD are quite clear that no licence will be issued if it is likely that human remains will be found on a site.”

DHB hopes to dig up 2.5 million cubic metres – a reported 0.22% of the total volume of the 10 mile-long natural sandbank – for materials to use in its £120m Dover Western Docks Revival project. The initial consultation finished in July.

If approved by the MMO, the material will be shipped to the Western Docks, where a new cargo terminal and marina is being built.

The Save Our Sands campaign group has so far collected almost 11,000 signatures on a petition.

Oscar-winning actor Mark Rylance, Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes, and Deborah Moggach, whose novel These Foolish Things was turned into the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, are among those who have signed it.

Dover and Deal MP Charlie Elphicke has offered to arrange for the campaigners to present their petition to No 10 Downing Street. A date is yet to be confirmed.

A Dover Harbour Board spokesman said: “The licence application was submitted to the MMO in mid-May with the completed Environmental Statement and supporting impact studies.

“Following the statutory 42-day consultation period which began in June, the MMO requested some further information and Dover Harbour Board has provided this.

“If anyone wishes to inspect the additional information, the MMO is giving until November 16 to do so.”