PIPPA Middleton has emerged victorious in a battle with locals after a planning inspector ruled that the driveway to her home should not be a public right of way.
The Princess of Wales’ sister and her husband James Matthews went to war with ramblers over a footpath they blocked from going through their estate.
Pippa Middleton has won a battle with locals after a planning inspector ruled that the driveway to her home should not be a public right of way Credit: Getty
Pippa Middleton and James Matthews bought the property near Kintbury, Berkshire, for £15.5 million in 2022 Credit: Getty
The couple argued that the route gives them “privacy and security issues” at their 145-acre Barton Court home.
After purchasing the property near Kintbury, Berkshire, for £15.5 million in 2022 they blocked access to Mill Lane, a locally named drive said to have been used by walkers since the 1960s.
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Notices reading “Private: No Public Access” and “No Trespassing” were erected around the estate while electric gates were installed across the driveway.
The move sparked backlash from a group of more than 30 locals, represented by The Ramblers charity, who wanted the path listed as a right of way.
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They argued that there was evidence of the route being used by the public for more than two decades and that it had “clearly played an important role in the lives of many of the villagers of Kintbury”.
Local Sam Robins said that from about 2008 he used it on average four times a week to walk between his home in Wawcott and Kintbury, while another, Ruairi Flynn, estimated that during some periods he made around 40 to 50 journeys along it each year.
But planning inspector Ken Taylor concluded that there was “no clear indication” that previous landowners intended to dedicate Mill Lane as a footpath.
He added: “The evidence from those living and working on the estate suggests that use by the public was very limited.”
Historic maps also failed to establish public rights over the route.
The inspector said the strongest evidence of regular use came from members of a single household.
Reacting to the news, local councillor Tony Vickers said: “I am surprised and very disappointed that the Inspector came down on the landowner’s side.
A spokesperson for the couple said: “We are grateful for the careful consideration given to the facts and appreciate the time invested by all parties.”
