The company hopeful of winning a development consent order to return Manston airport to a cargo and freight hub have bought land they say will be used as a fuel facility.

RiverOak Strategic Partners (RSP) acquired the Jentex site on Canterbury Road West from the Jenkins family who have operated the site for many years as a fuel oil business and more recently a supplier at Vattenfall wind farm.

It is hoped that if the consent order (DCO) is successful the Jenkins family will run the facility on behalf of RSP and the airport.

But in a precautionary move planning permission for an extra-care sheltered housing scheme on the land will remain current and will only cease if the DCO is granted.

George Yerrall, director of RSP, said: “The Jenkins family is a pleasure to deal with and I am delighted we are building a long term relationship with them.

"We have always been clear that we want local businesses to share in the success of reopening Manston and I hope this is the first of many such relationships we will forge with businesses across Thanet and east Kent.”

Anthony Jenkins, site owner, added: “We have always been huge supporters of Manston and look forward to seeing it reopen. I take real pride in the knowledge that our family will be able to apply our 55 years of experience in running Jentex to the challenges of building and operating the new airport fuel facility – and I look forward to the next steps in the DCO.”