South Thanet MP Craig Mackinlay says there is no reason why Thanet council cannot pursue a buyout of the former Manston Airport site.

The MP - along with his colleague Sir Roger Gale - met with the transport secretary Patrick McCloughlin today to discuss the fate of the airport.

He said the secretary of state had underlined the government’s support for the efforts being made to restore Manston as an airport and that a report by consultants had raised no obstacles to pursuing a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the site.

The MP said: “It was a very good meeting and there is no impediment to pursuing a CPO. It is now down to the council to pursue it. We have a council that does not support the current owners’ plans, along with two MPs and the government.”

He added: “The other assurance we did get was that if the CPO moves forward, the government will do all it can in relation to restoring licences for the airport.”

A consultants’ report commissioned by the government to examine the council’s previous decision not to pursue a CPO is complete and expected to be published shortly.

The news comes just one day after the owners of the site Trevor Cartner and Chris Musgrave unveiled details of their own plans - including a film studio, a 50m swimming pool and 2,500 homes.

Their spokesman Ray Mallon said any attempt at a CPO would fail and that it would cost potentially £76m to pursue one.

“Statute is quite clear that in pursuing a CPO in order to establish a viable airport on site, Thanet District Council would have to have the funds to cover not only the legal and compensation costs of obtaining the land but also to provide the finance to support long term the establishment of a viable airport.”

He added: “The district council’s own figures put this cost to local taxpayers at £76m and, with no company coming forward to provide suitable indemnity, the council was quite right not to pursue this avenue in the past.”