The leader of Kent County Council says he backs the idea of a joint planning blueprint for east Kent - so long as it leads to the chance of more government investment.

Cllr Paul Carter was responding to a suggestion by the government that council chiefs consider joining forces to create an east Kent ‘Local Plan’ to determine targets for house building across different authorities.

He was commenting after Thanet council was warned by the housing minister Sajid Javid that he could step in to pass the responsibility of drawing up its Local Plan to KCC.

Mr Javid accused Thanet council of “persistent failure” to produce its Local Plan and said the wrangling over the former Manston site was no excuse.

Government officials are to be sent to Thanet to assess the situation before reporting back to ministers, who will then decide what action should be taken.

Cllr Carter said: “They have done it in Oxfordshire in which the districts and the county council came together to produce one plan and with it came quite a substantial amount of investment in infrastructure.”

“We need to engage in those discussions and speak to Dover, Shepway and Canterbury. If that is what the government wants us to do and there is a good reason for doing so, let’s engage with it.”

He said KCC would not be compromised by its views on Manston.

“Manston should not get in the way of producing a local plan while there are various processes in train there that will rumble on for another two or three years. We have got to work around that and in my view park it and make sure we have a sensible local plan for Thanet and more broadly one that links and connects with the adjoining districts and boroughs.”

“There is a move in the government to have local plans and spatial plans over a bigger area which is exactly what they have done in Oxfordshire with the prize of additional money for infrastructure.If that is one of the options before us, why wouldn’t we want to engage?”

KCC has previously said it would be willing to explore aviation options for Manston with Thanet council but in a document setting out the council’s position in 2015, Mr Carter said: “Surely it is time for a Plan B.”