Pippa Middleton and her husband James Matthews are facing a public inquiry after a row over access and planning permission near their Berkshire estate.
The dispute centres on a route villagers claim has long been used as a public footpath across the couple’s Barton Court home.
The controversy escalated after the couple installed an electric gate, adding to their headaches as archaeological discoveries on the estate have already stalled other renovation plans.
Planning row electric gate and public footpath rights
The dispute involves a route that runs across land surrounding Pippa Middleton and James Matthews’ Barton Court estate, on the outskirts of Kintbury.
Local residents submitted an application to have the path formally recognised as a public footpath, supported by 35 user evidence forms, with some stating they had used the route regularly since the 1960s.
The matter arose after the couple installed an electric gate across the route in 2022, restricting access.
A council spokesperson said: “West Berkshire Council made a Definitive Map Modification Order last year to record the route as a public footpath, following an application after an electric gate was erected across the route in 2022. The user evidence provided by local residents was an important part of our consideration.”
Archaeological concerns threaten other plans
Pippa Middleton and James Matthews have also faced other planning challenges at Barton Court. The couple submitted applications to renovate their £15m Georgian home, including building a greenhouse, stables, and a garden room.
Planning documents highlight that the site has potential archaeological significance, with Mesolithic flint scatters and evidence of early hunter-gatherer activity in the Kennet Valley.
Archaeologists warned that the renovations could impact previously unidentified prehistoric, medieval, and post-medieval remains, which has complicated the approval process.
These concerns, combined with local objections over landscape impact and earlier disputes such as the car park, have slowed the couple’s wider renovation plans.
Couple await both planning outcomes
The Definitive Map Modification Order (DMMO) regarding the footpath was opposed by the landowners, so the council referred the case to the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) for determination.
A DMMO is used in England and Wales to add, remove, or change public rights of way and officially recognised public footpaths, bridleways, and other public routes.
A public inquiry is scheduled for 14 and 15 May 2026 at Kintbury Coronation Hall, where evidence from residents, the council, and the landowners will be considered before a government inspector reaches a decision.
Pippa Middleton and James Matthews now await the outcomes of both the public footpath inquiry and the wider planning applications for their estate, which together will determine the future of Barton Court and its grounds.
