The government has stepped in after 'persistent failures' from Thanet council to provide new homes in the district.

James Brokenshire, the Secretary of State for housing and communities, has been forced to intervene telling the authority to get on with developing its Local Plan and will now oversee the council's progress.

He wrote to Thanet District Council (TDC) leader Bob Bayford slamming the council's failure to 'plan for and deliver the homes people need in Thanet'.

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Mr Brokenshire said the government could take over the council's responsibility for delivering a plan if it is not satisfied with future progress.

The council is eight years behind creating plans for housing on the Isle with the last plan - published in 2006 - only covering up to 2011.

In response, the council said it had already started addressing concerns raised by Mr Brokenshire but added it was disappointed 'there wasn’t more recognition' of the work it had done in light of 'positive progress and constructive dialogue with the ministry'.

Mr Brokenshire said TDC was among 50 councils in the country yet to deliver a plan - required by law for all local authorities - and raised concerns about the 'low level of housing supply and delivery in Thanet'.

In March 2018, the government's chief planner and experts were sent to Thanet to assess if the government needed to take over and develop a plan for the district itself.

In his letter, Mr Brokenshire said he had decided full government intervention was not necessary after TDC had made enough progress by itself.

But the Secretary of State said he and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government would 'closely monitor' the situation.

He said: "Thanet have consistently failed to bring forward a Local Plan in accordance with its Local Development Scheme as legally required.

"Based on Thanet’s revised Local Development Scheme, it is unlikely that Local Plan production would be accelerated by my department taking over.

"In my judgement, given the authority’s track record of persistent failure in plan-making, the intervention I have decided upon will provide more certainty and is the best way of ensuring that a Local Plan will be produced."

Mr Brokenshire has given the TDC four weeks to appoint a leading councillor and officer who will take the lead to create a Local Plan and told the council to publish the details when a decision is made.

TDC's last plan was not covered by a legal requirement passed in 2004 and no new plan has been developed since.

Mr Brokenshire said TDC had failed to meet 'at least six' milestones to develop a local plan for housing in the last 13 years.

Thanet is under pressure to deliver new housing and sits in the top-third in the country for housing need based on affordability.

Mr Brokenshire said there was also a lack of land supply for housing which had highlighted the authority's failure to plan ahead.

Six areas in Thanet - Birchington, Ramsgate, Margate, Broadstairs and St Peters, Westgate and Cliffsend - are developing localised neighbourhood plans.

But Mr Brokenshire said an up-to-date Local Plan covering the whole district would make the process easier for towns and villages.

"I am also, for the avoidance of doubt, now putting on public record my concerns about the low level of housing supply and delivery in Thanet," Mr Brokenshire said.

"I expect planning decision-takers to have regard to these concerns as a material consideration when deciding local planning applications."

He added he would consider taking 'further action to ensure a Local Plan is put in place' if there were any 'significant delays' to achieve milestones, failure to 'comply with the directions' in his letter or if the draft Local Plan failed when it is reviewed by government planners.

Mr Brokenshire concluded: "I have decided not to prepare the Thanet Local Plan. However, I will continue to closely monitor your Local Plan progress.

"I appreciate the constructive way Thanet District Council have engaged in this process so far and I trust that you and your officers will continue to engage positively."

A spokesman for TDC said: "The council has significantly progressed with its Local Plan which was submitted to the Planning Inspectorate on 30 October 2018, with a public examination expected in the coming months.

"The council has reviewed the actions in the Secretary of State’s letter and can confirm that arrangements are already in place to meet the majority of requirements set out, any others will be incorporated into our processes without unnecessarily delaying examination of the plan.

"Given this positive progress and constructive dialogue with the ministry, the council is disappointed that there wasn’t more recognition of this within the letter and will be responding directly to the Secretary of State.

"The council will continue to work positively with the ministry to progress with its plan."