The council is seeking views on proposed revisions to the Local Plan Preferred Options 2015. These main changes are:

• The re-designation of the former Manston Airport site for mixed use development
• The allocation of two additional housing sites at Manston Court Road/Haine Road and at Manston Road/Shottendane Road to meet the new objectively assessed housing need (as prescribed in national planning policy guidance) of 17,140 dwellings.

As well as this we are consulting on a new Strategic Routes Policy which safeguards certain routes and supports junction improvements to provide an inner circuit to relieve pressure on the existing road network, and an Implementation Policy which states how the council will secure the implementation of key infrastructure.

In addition the consultation document seeks views on what national standards the council should adopt and whether there is any relevant evidence we can use in adopting this. It also seeks suggestions for Local Green Space designations.

Finally there is an alteration to the location of the proposed Thanet Parkway Station.

All comments submitted during the last plan consultation in 2015 have been considered but not all changes are being made at this stage. Due to the scale of change from the last plan we want to seek the views of the public on these main issues before submitting the plan to the Secretary of State. The other amendments will be available for comment during the pre-submission consultation, planned to take place later this year.

The consultation is accompanied by the Sustainability Appraisal for the whole plan and comments are welcome on this. A separate comments form is available.

Other supporting documents that are available for information during the consultation include the Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA), Habitats Regulations Assessment, the Draft Infrastructure Delivery Plan, Airport Viability Study and Economic Growth Strategy.

The quickest and easiest way of responding is electronically, through our online consultation portal. To comment this way please go to consult.thanet.gov.uk

If you are not able to respond this way, you can download the comments form from our consultation portal or pick up paper copies from the Thanet Gateway, Cecil Street, Margate, at public libraries in the District or from Pierremont Hall in Broadstairs or Customs House in Ramsgate. If you require hard copies of the consultation document or the comments form please contact Strategic Planning on 01843 577591 or local.plans@thanet.gov.uk or Strategic Planning, Thanet District Council, PO Box 9, Cecil Street, Margate, Kent CT9 1XZ. Please note that comments that are not received via the consultation portal may not be immediately acknowledged.

Please make sure we have your comments by 5pm Friday 17^th March 2017.