An English wine giant says a new multi-million pound winery in the Kent countryside will create hundreds of jobs - and could make the brand even bigger than Moet in the UK.

Chapel Down has unveiled ambitious plans to move its major operations to Bridge, near Canterbury, with the aim of ramping up production from 1.5 million bottles a year to to nine million by 2032.

It would see the firm relocate its headquarters from Tenterden, near Ashford, after almost 30 years.

But it describes the proposed move to the Canterbury Business Park at Highland Court Farm as an "economic game-changer".

It says it will mean Chapel Down becoming "the UK’s biggest selling premium sparkling wine brand, overtaking Moet and Chandon".

The entire development would cover an area of farmland the size of 20 football pitches, with vineyards planted and buildings erected to support the wine-making operations.

Separate neighbouring units would also be built to accommodate food and drink-related businesses as part of the wider application.

The trade park is already allocated for expansion in the district's draft Local Plan, and the proposed site is surrounded and screened by existing trees.

Bosses at the park, which already hosts numerous businesses, artisans and an events venue, are working with the wine producer on the scheme.

Chapel Down says the move is necessary because its current base in Tenterden cannot accommodate further expansion as demand for the product grows.

The award-winning producer supplies leading events and venues, including England Cricket, the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, the London Symphony Orchestra, Ascot Racecourse and the Royal Opera.

It will team up with fellow producer Defined Wine on the site if the proposal is approved.

In its application, bosses say: "This proposal offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to bring the national brand of Chapel Down to Canterbury Business Park, thereby securing the district’s status as the UK’s leading centre of wine production.

"The result would be a truly unrivalled rural commercial centre in Canterbury, twinned with Rheims in the Champagne region, that could not be created elsewhere."

In September, Chapel Down held an exhibition and public consultation of its plans at the Night Yard venue at Highland Court Farm which was attended by about 50 people after which the company claims its vision was "warmly received".

It believes that if approved the winery will act as a catalyst for continued employment growth at the site.

The company plans to continue its grape-growing, specialist wine-making and vineyard tours in Tenterden, while focusing its main production hub at Bridge.

The formal application details various buildings for the production and storage of wine, as well as research and development facilities. Chapel Down may also plant vines in the surrounding countryside in the future.

Operations manager and head of wine Josh Donaghay-Spire says the company is "hugely excited" at the prospect of building a new winery near Canterbury.

"With our plans to have over 900 acres under vine by next spring, this winery will allow us to produce more wine from the excellent Kent terroir which we are discovering with every vintage that passes and every vineyard we plant," he said.

The company also believes the Canterbury Business Park is the "most suitable" location for its proposal for a production hub, as more than half of the UK’s planted vineyards are in the south-east of the country.

Documents in the planning application describe the current winery - Chapel Down's home since 1995 - as "not equipped for the expansion proposed".

"It is poorly located in terms of the wider highways network and is not expandable for increased capacity winemaking or for ancillary processes such as bottling, storage and disgorging," they state.

"It’s a massive tourism pull for this corner of the country, so if they’re expanding, great..."

While its headquarters are moving, plans to retain a significant Chapel Down presence in Tenterden have been described as a "relief".

The full application for the Canterbury development can be viewed here.

Keli Nolan-Lyons, Tenterden's town and business co-ordinator, said: "I think it’s a great sign that they’re expanding, and I think it goes to show how much Tenterden and the borough of Ashford is really an integral heartbeat of English wine.

“It is an industry that is going from strength to strength. It’s a massive tourism pull for this corner of the country, so if they’re expanding, great.

“We love that Tenterden is clearly displayed on their branding. It’s such a draw to the town and I think if their Tenterden site will now change to focus on being a tourist destination it could work out as a plus for the town. We wish them the best of luck with the expansion.”