A decision by Thanet council not to compulsory purchase Manston airport is to be re-examined.

Thanet’s ruling Labour administration decided against pursuing a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the airport last month.

However, a cross-party backbench scrutiny committee of councillors has called in that decision and wants to review whether “appropriate procedures and processes were followed in reaching the decision".

The news will be welcome by supporters’ groups although under the rules of the council, the committee has no powers to overturn the cabinet’s decision. It could ask for a rethink, however.

The decision will be considered at a meeting next week.

A report outlining the proposal says the committee is concerned that the cabinet report on which the decision not to go for a CPO “did not contain sufficient details as to the process involved and evidence in reaching some of the conclusions made”.

At its meeting in December, the Labour cabinet said it had decided not to pursue the CPO in partnership with the American-based consortium RiverOak.

In a statement on its website, the council said: “The recommendation follows a soft-market testing exercise carried out by the council which failed to identify a suitable indemnity partner - a third party who would cover all the costs of a CPO.”

“Without the finances to pursue a CPO in its own right, the council has been clear that compulsory purchase of the airport could only be considered if there was an appropriate financial partner.”

MPs are also due to consider Manston’s future at a Commons select committee in February.