Pippa Middleton and her husband, hedge fund manager James Matthews, have successfully blocked the establishment of a public footpath crossing their property in West Berkshire, citing security concerns linked to their high public profiles.

The couple, who reside at Barton Court, purchased the estate in August 2022. Shortly after moving in, they installed an electric security gate on their driveway to enhance privacy and safety. This action sparked a response from the West Berkshire Ramblers, a local walking group, which applied for a definitive map modification order to have the driveway officially recognised as a public footpath.

Under local regulations, a route may be designated as a public footpath if it has been used by the public for at least 20 years or if the landowner has expressly dedicated it as such. However, Mr. Matthews argued during a hearing earlier this year that the conveyancing process when purchasing the property did not indicate any public access rights over the driveway.

In his testimony, Matthews emphasised that due to the couple’s prominent public standing, a heightened level of security was necessary. He stated that the security gate remains closed except on rare occasions when family or friends visit. He also noted that no representatives from the parish council or the local village community approached them regarding the installation of the gate or raised concerns prior to the footpath application.

Matthews further pointed out that since their arrival, he has observed only a small number of individuals walking along the driveway on a few occasions. Each time, he personally informed them that the driveway was not a public footpath, and they acknowledged this fact.

Following the inquiry, planning inspector Kenneth Taylor ruled against confirming the definitive map modification order. Consequently, the driveway will not be added to the official public footpath register, maintaining the couple’s private control over the access route.