Stone Hill Park planning application submitted on former Manston airport

The developers of a new town and offices on the former Manston airport site have submitted a planning application to councillors.The final masterplan for Stone Hill Park will keep the old airfield’s runway intact.The outline application seeks outline permission for up to 2,500 homes on the 800-acre site and includes a series of communities under the names the Taxiways, the Meadow Edge, Heritage Gardens and Airfield Aveneus.It also seeks approval for the first phase of commerical development, which would be employment land to the western end of the runway.Developers say its total employment land could create 4,000 jobs.The plans feature two primary schools, a hotel, swimming pool, sports fields and allotments.It is unclear whether plans for a film studio remain part of the proposals, which will take shape over the next 20 years.A grassy area to be known as Spitfire Park will allow Second World War and other heritage aircraft to continue to land on the site for tourism purposes.More than £1.4 million has been invested in preparing the scheme by its owners Trevor Cartner and Chris Musgrave, the commerical property developers who own Discovery Park in Sandwich.The project team includes global planning and property consultants Bilfinger GVA and master planners PlanIt.