Kate Winslet backs down on controversial plans to build 560-foot sea wall to protect her £3.25million beachside home from flooding
Kate Winslet has abandoned plans to build sea defences to protect her home from flooding
Kate Winslet has caved in to Natural England over controversial plans to build a 560ft-long wall to protect her £3.25million beachside home from flooding.
The multi BAFTA-winning actress, 39, wanted to install a boulder and gravel seawall along the West Sussex coast to protect her property.
But the actress has bowed to pressure from environmentalists who feared the defence would threaten protected birds nesting on the nature site.
Government advisers Natural England and a local conservation body said the wall would threaten habitats that rare species depend on.
The Academy Award-winning actress, who starred in Titanic and this year’s The Divergent Series: Insurgent, has now withdrawn the application to build on the picturesque coast of West Sussex.
A letter from the director the architects firm handling the development confirmed it will no longer be going ahead on Tuesday last week.
The letter read: “I would like to confirm that the application for the sea defences application be withdrawn.”
They proposed the wall would sit above the high-tide line along the shoreline of the property to protect it from erosion and flooding.
The application, which was submitted in January, argued: “The existing bank is unprotected and evidence of embankment creep is evident, furthermore cliffing is evident which is undermining a number of mature trees in addition to the longer term impacts on the existing footpath.”
The protected area where her home lies is also a popular spot for birds and a place where 20 per cent of the country’s little egrets spend their winters.
Works on the wall were expected to take place between March and May this year, but a time extension was requested by her local council, who said more information was required.
Public environmental body Natural England objected to the plans, citing the negative environmental impact the development would have.
The stretch of West Sussex coast where Winslet wanted to build a sea wall to protect her £3.25million house
Plans submitted to her local District Council show the proposed sea wall to protect Winslet's property
It argued: “The proposals will result in a direct loss of wetlands and marine habitat on the designated site.
“Natural England therefore advises that your authority should not grant planning permission at this stage.”
Meanwhile, a local conservation body was concerned over the landscape and nature conservation impacts.
Concerns were raised about potential erosion of a coastal path that could be caused by the defence
It warned: “This could set a dangerous precedent for further new sea defences along the remaining stretches of natural shoreline in the harbour.
“We remain unconvinced of the need for this sea defence, and that its impact on the landscape and nature conservations interests of the area of natural beauty would be acceptable.”
A spokesman for her local council said: “All we know at this stage is that it has been withdrawn and we do not have any more information.”
The architect behind the application declined to comment on the withdrawal, as did a spokesman for the actress and Natural England.
Meanwhile, the house was granted extensive renovations in June for a swimming pool, pool house and garage.
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