THE new owners of a vineyard have unveiled massive expansion plans.

A planning application has been submitted for a threebedroom estate manager’s house at Dedham Vale Vineyard in Green Lane, Boxted.

The application reveals the business plan is to produce 80,000 bottles a year within five years – up from about 13,500.

Tony Collins, agent for the applicant, Orchard Hill Design, said: “The new owners are expanding the business with more vines and their ability to produce more wines.

“There was an estate manager’s house previously approved on the site but we are looking at a new space on the vineyard.”

The vineyard is set in 40 acres on the edge of the Stour Valley in the Dedham Vale.

It used to be known as Carter’s Vineyards before the former owners, Bunting and Sons, sold the business to Michael Roberts in 2013.

This was before Bunting and Sons, who were behind plans to create the Horkesley Park heritage centre, went into administration.

Features of the estate manager’s house will include a maturing wine store, garage, workshop and equipment store for woodland management activities.

The plans also include the creation of a “cave” in the basement to allow the wines to mature.

Orchard Hill Design said the two-acre site had been chosen to minimise the view from the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which it borders.

The applicant has revealed plans to double the amount of land put aside for vines as part of the business expansion.

The application states: “The current production from the vineyard, in a good year, is around 12,000 to15,000 bottles.

“The business plan is to increase both the acreage cultivated at the property by between a further four and eight acres and to increase the amount of grapes grown elsewhere under contract to produce a reliable annual total of between 60 and 80,000 bottles per year within five years."

Colchester Council has the final say on the application.