Pippa Middleton Wins Berkshire Right-of-Way Dispute
Pippa Middleton Wins Berkshire Right-of-Way Dispute
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Key Points
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The inspector’s ruling overturned West Berkshire Council’s 2024 decision to designate Mill Lane as a public right of way.
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Lady Victoria Conran, who lived at Barton Court for 30 years before selling it to the couple, supported their case, telling the inquiry: “I only ever saw one person using the driveway who should not have been there” and that she had never observed organised groups of ramblers using it.
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Evidence from individual residents included Sam Robins’s claim that he used the route about four times a week from 2008 to walk between Wawcott and Kintbury, while Ruairi Flynn estimated making 40 to 50 journeys per year during some periods.
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Inspector Ken Taylor said the strongest evidence of regular public use came from members of a single household, and that testimony from people living and working on the estate indicated public use had been very limited.
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James Matthews told the public inquiry that nothing in the conveyancing documents from his 2022 purchase indicated that the public had an entitlement to use the driveway.
Pippa Middleton and her husband, James Matthews, won a legal battle to keep Mill Lane—a driveway crossing their Barton Court estate in Berkshire—private. BBC reported that a government planning inspector ruled residents had not proven they used the route continuously for the legally required 20 years or that previous owners intended it as a public footpath.
More than 30 local residents, supported by the Ramblers group, had fought to designate the lane a public right of way. They argued it was a safer route to Kintbury than the narrow, busy alternative road without sidewalks. The couple closed the route and installed gates after buying the estate in 2022, citing privacy and security concerns.
The Inspector's Reasoning: Insufficient Evidence
Inspector Ken Taylor found the evidence of regular public use unconvincing. BBC reported that the strongest proof came from members of just one household. Testimony from people living and working on the estate showed public use had been very limited over the years.
Individual residents had claimed regular use. Sam Robins said he walked the route about four times weekly from 2008 to 2018 between Wawcott and Kintbury. Ruairi Flynn estimated making 40 to 50 journeys annually during some periods. But the inspector deemed this insufficient proof of the required continuous 20-year public access.
A Former Owner's Surprising Testimony
Lady Victoria Conran, who lived at Barton Court for 30 years before selling to the couple, supported their position. BBC reported she told the inquiry: "I only ever saw one person using the driveway who should not have been there." She said she never observed organized rambler groups using the lane during her decades there.
Her testimony proved significant. Conran's three decades on the property provided clear evidence about actual public use patterns over a long stretch of time. Her account contradicted claims that the route had served as an established public access way for 20 years.
Local Disappointment Over the Reversal
The ruling overturned West Berkshire Council's 2024 decision designating Mill Lane as a public right of way. Local residents expressed disappointment with the inspector's conclusion. Supporters argued the footpath was crucial for safer pedestrian access to Kintbury.
James Matthews told the public inquiry that his purchase documents from 2022 showed no indication the public had any legal right to use the driveway. The inspector accepted this argument. For now, the driveway remains private, and the gates stay closed.
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