by political editor Paul Francis and Joanna Earle

"Not living in the real world."

That's how a Kent MP has described those behind a cash injection into Margate designed to breathe life into the recession-hit town.

The Government is to give Thanet council a grant of £52,632 as part of a £3million pot to help it re-open boarded up shops.

The cash grant comes just weeks after Margate was named in a survey as the town with the highest number of "to let" signs in its shops of anywhere in the country.

But Roger Gale, the Conservative MP for Thanet North, claims the plan will not work.

He said: "Anyone who is trying to pretend there can be a quick fix is simply not living in the real world. There isn't and there won't be.

"We have to mount a long and sustained campaign to revitalise Margate High Street. We're not there yet and that isn't going to happen until the Turner Centre and the development of Margate water front is completed.

"Frankly, this is government by token, not government by policy."

The Government says it is giving councils in the worst-affected areas a cash boost. Thanet is the only part of the county to receive a share of the money.

It means no help for Dover, which has the second highest vacancy rate in Kent of 16.3 per, or Gravesend and Folkestone, which have vacancy rates of more than 14 per cent.

Communities minister John Denham said: "We know the downturn has really hurt high streets. There is no need to see unused shops on our high streets going to waste, especially when we know it doesn’t take a lot to turn a vacant shop into something beneficial for the community.

"These grants will help to transform and re-open empty shops to keep town centres vibrant and combat the recession."

The money could be used to re-open shops or find other uses for them, such as studios for artists. It could also be used to put on street festivals and other events.

Thanet South MP Dr Steve Ladyman said: "Boarded-up shops can undermine business confidence but opening them up for other uses makes sense and thriving business can sometimes spring from these opportunities."