THE long-running saga of the redevelopment of Margate Football Club has taken another twist.

Latest draft plans submitted by the club for its Hartsdown Park stadium have been sent to Thanet council’s cabinet - but the local authority has said that it would require a new planning application.

A council spokeswoman said: “As the revised plans move the stadium, increase the scale of the development and incur the loss of more public space, they would have to go through a new planning application process and possibly another referral to the Government Office of the South East.

“This will inevitably delay the club's ability to meet the May and August deadlines set by the Conference League.”

Cllr Bob Bayford, council deputy leader, said: "We have asked to meet the directors of Margate Football Club to clarify this and other planning matters relating to the development.

“As it stands, the outline enquiry we have received exceeds the boundaries of what was agreed originally and we need to consider whether this is acceptable, so that no time is wasted on schemes that do not have support."

The council has repeatedly told the club that it will not accept any development plan on the Hartsdown Road site without a full business plan and financial guarantee.

Margate have been playing home matches for two seasons at Dover’s ground while awaiting the development of Hartsdown Park. The bulldozers moved in a year ago, the pitch was dug up, the stands and terracing knocked down.

The club says it has lost hundreds of thousands of pounds in sponsorship and gate receipts and it faces the real possibility of dropping down a division next season because it cannot meet the statutory ground requirements laid down by the Conference League.