Kate Winslet lists English country home following planning dispute

Kate Winslet and new husband Ned Rocknroll have listed their 15th century English country home in Sussex for $4.2 million (£2.3 million) after local officials refused to grant permission to construct a large fence around their house, The Telegraph reports.

The Oscar-winning actor and her husband acquired the home near Midhurst for $3.5 million (£2 million) in late 2012. Reportedly concerned about the privacy of her children - Mia, 12, Joe, 9, and baby Bear - Winslet applied for planning permission to build a 6.5-foot-high wooden gate and an elevated wicker fence around the garden.

Initially, the British actor, who was recently inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame, spoke fondly of the country home. 

The Telegraph quotes the parish council as saying that the 38-year-old actor's plans represented "an incongruous feature, more suited to a suburban area than this rural setting," prompting them to reject the proposal.

Details of the property are sparse given that the agents marketing it have removed the listing from their website. But according to The Argus, the description previously pitched it as "a rare opportunity to purchase a delightful country house amidst 5.72 acres of beautiful down land in the peaceful hamlet."

Winslet's uncle, Mark Bridger, who resides in Earley, Berkshire, told The Argus in January 2013 that his niece had moved to Sussex.

"It is in Sussex and it is near Petersfield, near the Hampshire border, but I do not know what it is," he told the outlet.

Meanwhile, a friend of the actor told The Telegraph that no one has been living in the house, which Kate purchased as a retreat, for quite some time now. "All that Kate has left behind are her three sheep in an adjoining field, which she has ensured continue to be cared for," the friend said.

The family is believed to live in a home less than 10 miles away.