The minister looking after regeneration in north Kent and south Essex has said he can see similarities between people on both sides of the Thames during a visit to the county.

Thames Gateway minister Mark Francois said on a tour of Medway – his first ministerial visit to the area since taking the post – that the region’s industrial heritage unites the counties and is something he wants to build on.

He called on councils in the area to work together “in a strategic way” but would not be drawn on issues like the location of a new Thames Crossing or whether confidence in his party had been dented by revelations about David Cameron in a book by Lord Ashcroft.

Mr Francois saw the redevelopment of Rochester Airport and had a tour of potential brownfield redevelopment sites in Medway, including the Rochester Riverside development.

He said: “That is a sizable site and seems to be brownfield land put to very good use to provide homes for people.”

He was given a tour of the Universities at Medway site and saw Medway UTC, the new technical college which opened this month funded by £7 million of Government cash.

He said: “It’s a really impressive facility. The students are really articulate and clearly very proud of the institution they are studying at.

“The universities at Medway are a marvellous bringing together of those different institutions to provide a central education hub.”

Mr Francois has also met the Thames Gateway Kent Partnership Board to talk more about regeneration and growth in the region.

He said: “I need to get a feel of things on the ground. As an Essex MP I’m reasonably familiar with the Thames Gateway on the north bank of the Thames but I thought it would be a good idea to come across the river and talk to some of the key people involved in some of the programmes on the south bank.

“There are many similarities between south Essex and north Kent.

“People on both side of the Thames have a lot in common in terms of their industrial heritage.

“People on both side of the Thames have a lot in common in terms of their industrial heritage..." - Thames Gateway minister Mark Francois

“I’m reasonably familiar with the area over there so I thought it was a good idea to have a look around here.

“I was an infantry officer many years ago and there is an old saying that ‘time spent in reconnaissance is rarely wasted’.”

Mr Francois, the MP for the safe seat of Rayleigh and Wickford, said he supported the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, a body set up to oversee the construction of 15,000 homes between Gravesend and Dartford over 20 years.

While he did not say the same thing would be done for the Thames Gateway, he called on councils to get together to work out how to avoid opposition to developments.

“It’s important that councils work together in a strategic way. The Thames Gateway Kent Partnership Board is an important part of that.

“It brings a number of key local authorities into the same room around the same table.

“They can talk about how they can work together to develop the things the people of Kent are thinking about.

“It’s important to do these things in a way that carries local people with you.

“That means ensuring sufficient infrastructure is provided.

“It’s important that you show people some of the benefits that can accrue and make them a part of the whole process.”

Asked about his preferred option for a new Thames Crossing – which will either be in Dartford or to the east of Gravesend – he said the Government would consult on the issue next year.

“The whole point would be to seek local people’s opinion on where it should go, so we’ll have to wait until we get to the consultation.”

He refused to comment on revelations in a biography by Tory donor Lord Ashcroft, being serialised in the Daily Mail, about the private life of the Prime Minister or whether they would damage public confidence in the Conservative party.

He said: “I haven’t read the book.”