Council officials have been accused of compiling a "misleading" report about the impact of trying to buy Manston airport with a view to reopening the runway.

US consortium RiverOak has said findings by Thanet District Council are "full of inaccuracies and omissions" over its plans to try to run the historic site, which closed in May.

Last week, a report written by officers recommended the council should not continue with plans for a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the site.

It said the authority had "not identified any suitable expressions of interest" in its search for "an appropriate financial partner” which could take over the running of the airport at no cost to the council.

However, Riveroak has strongly disputed the findings, saying the report "misrepresents" its submission to the council and is "unsafe" to be relied upon as evidence when councillors come to vote on the issue at a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

In an open letter to the council, cheif executive Stephen DeNardo says the authority has "fabricated" rules about CPO funding and claims RiverOak can cover the costs of running the airport.

Thanet District Council has hit back at the response, branding it "inflammatory and inaccurate".

In a statement it said: "Thanet District Council has spent a considerable amount of time talking to Riveroak and doing all it can to assist them in providing the relevant information required as part of the soft-market testing exercise.

"The deadline for this exercise was originally August 29. The council has continued to extend this to facilitate Riveroak’s ability to provide it with the information required.

"Given the risks involved in pursuing a CPO, it would be totally unacceptable for the council to agree an indemnity partner which failed to provide the appropriate assurances."

It added: "Having successfully purchased the Dreamland site after a lengthy legal battle, the council is fully cognisant of the relevant CPO process and is all too aware of the complexities that can arise."

It comes as the new owners of Manston say they expect to submit plans to redevelop the site as a business park by next autumn.

Owners Trevor Cartner and Chris Musgrave have set out a timetable for their £1bn plans, which they say could generate 4,000 jobs on the 800-acre site and create a "world class development".

In a statement, the pair, who acquired a majority stake in Manston in September from owner Ann Gloag, said they intended to consult widely before putting in a formal planning application.

They said: “We are genuinely very excited about the emerging plans for this site.

"We think Thanet deserves a truly world-class development that will bring lasting jobs and other opportunities to the area.

"We very much wish to hear from everyone in Thanet and East Kent so that our proposals can be designed to give the maximum benefit to the majority of local people.”

The consultation timetable features a number of events starting next spring and continuing through the summer.

In addition, the pair say they will look at similar developments across the world before a public exhibition of draft proposals scheduled for spring.

This would be the first chance for residents and others to give their views and would involve presentations to businesses and politicians.

That would be followed in the summer with a second public exhibition, updating initial plans and taking into account suggestions made by the public and others.

A planning application would then be submitted to the council.