Ray Winstone loses battle to expand his £4million Grand Designs-style home after council ruled his plans were “inadequate”.

RAY Winstone has lost a battle to expand his £4million home.

The council ruled that the actor’s plans for a Grand Designs-style makeover at his sprawling Essex mansion were “inappropriate” and “harmful” to the area.

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The film and television “tough man” wanted to replace his downstairs playroom with an open-plan kitchen with lantern skylights.

He also hoped to expand to the side and back and convert his attic into a sixth bedroom with dormer windows.

Doubling the size of his porch and replacing a flat roof with a pitched one were also part of the proposal, which his agent Graham Aldridge says would “create a much more comfortable place to live, consistent with modern standards.”

But documents show Winstone’s local authority turned down the proposal because his late Victorian farmhouse is already big enough.

Caroline Brown, Planning Officer at Epping Forest District Council, said: “The property has been significantly expanded over time, with a large two-storey annexe to the east and rear, a single-storey annexe to the west side and a wide square porch to the front.

“The proposal aims to increase the number of additions to the property even further, resulting in disproportionate additions beyond the size of the original dwelling and detrimental to the open character and visual convenience of the greenbelt area.”

She went on to describe the development as “inappropriate” and argued that nothing outweighed the “damage” it would cause.

“Although the site is modern, it has been designed to be personable in its rural, traditional setting,” added Ms Brown.

Conservation Commissioner Stela Sudekum agreed, adding that, similar to Grand Designs, the expansions would “damage the character” of the neighborhood.

Winstone, best known for his roles as “Tough Guy,” was given the green light to expand his home in February 2019.

But construction didn’t start within the three-year window and that permit was expiring, reports MailOnline.

His re-application in March last year was rejected earlier this month.

Winstone has starred in a number of Hollywood blockbusters including The Departed, Indiana Jones and Hugo, as well as British favorites Sexy Beast, King of Thieves and Quadrophenia.

He has also appeared in the ITV drama series The Trials of Jimmy Rose.

His estate, which has multiple swimming pools, solariums and a 55-foot entertainment barn, is described by a real estate agent as “delightfully quintessentially English”.

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