Pippa Middleton and Husband in Planning Dispute Over Closed Estate Road
Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews are embroiled in a contentious planning row after closing a road on their Barton Court estate in Berkshire, which locals argue forms part of a public footpath. The dispute has escalated, with a public inquiry scheduled for next month to resolve the matter.
Background of the Road Closure
According to planning documents, the entrance to Mill Lane on the Barton Court estate was closed with a gate and railings after Matthews purchased the property in 2022. The couple, who married in 2017, moved in shortly thereafter. In October 2022, an electric gate was installed with signs stating "no access" and "no entrance," effectively preventing walkers from reaching an established footpath that many believed was public.
West Berkshire Council later designated the lane as part of a public right of way, following an application by the West Berkshire Ramblers for a definitive map modification order. However, the estate is challenging this decision, leading to the upcoming public inquiry conducted by the Planning Inspectorate.
Local Residents' Concerns
Local residents, providing evidence to the inquiry on behalf of the Ramblers' Association, assert that the lane is a crucial link to the public footpath. They claim it has long been used to navigate around the village of Kintbury, and its closure forces them onto a "dangerous road" with few pedestrian refuges.
Neil G Lawrence, a resident, stated, "I was always of the belief that this route off of Station Road to the Kintbury footpath was public. When planning a walk, and executing a walk the route looks logical, both on any available map and in reality on the ground." He emphasized that the closure would result in a "loss of a key local amenity."
Another local added, "Until the point in time when a gate was installed across the metalled section of the walk, there were no signs, no gates or stiles of any kind that would impede progress with a pedestrian or dog along any part of this route. Over the years I have seen and spoken with many villagers walking this path and I have always believed the metalled roadway from the entrance to Barton Court to the gate lodge on Station Road was part of the public footpath."
Estate's Defense and Counterarguments
In 2024, Barton Court estate manager Patrick Newnham objected to the lane's designation as public, arguing that it "has been, and remains, marked as private." Matthews' statement of case to the definitive map modification order contends that "the claimed route does not meet the legal requirements to be a footpath."
The estate's case highlights that allowing public access would cause "practical / privacy difficulties and security issues for the Objector (Mr Matthews) and his family." It also claims that signage controlling access has been in place "since at least the 1980s" and that alternative, more attractive routes are available for walkers in Kintbury.
Matthews' case further argues, "The claimed route is, in contrast, a surfaced drive with unremarkable views on either side that would not lead would-be footpath users anywhere other than Station Road, which has been, at all material times, a busy and unattractive road for the recreational walker or otherwise out to open country (on the other side of Station Road) where there are no convenient routes."
Upcoming Public Inquiry
The public inquiry is set to begin on 14 May, where both sides will present their arguments. The outcome will determine whether the lane remains closed or is reopened as a public right of way. The Independent has reached out to Barton Court for comment, but no response has been disclosed at this time.
This dispute underscores broader tensions between private property rights and public access to rural pathways, with the Middleton-Matthews case drawing significant local and media attention due to the high-profile nature of the individuals involved.
