A controversial plan for a multi-million pound winery and visitor centre will be the subject of a planning inquiry.

Medway Council turned down plans for the £30 million Kentish Wine Vault which was earmarked for land off Upper Bush in the village of Cuxton.

It had been set to be the UK's single largest vineyard and would have included a wine production facility including a café, visitor centre, and car park.

However, councillors who were concerned about damaging the Green Belt and the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (ANOB) in which it would be located saw Vineyard Farms Ltd's plans refused when they were discussed at a planning committee meeting in March.

The council has now confirmed it has received an appeal from the applicants, with no date being confirmed yet for the inquiry.

A total of 85% of the building – which was designed by esteemed architect Lord Norman Foster – had been proposed to be underground.

Planning officers had recommend approval for the proposals subject to them being referred to the secretary of state for levelling up, housing, and communities because the authority's legal officer determined the development would amount to inappropriate development on the Green Belt, which is why they believed a call-in would be needed.