Pippa Middleton in row with locals after blocking footpath through Berkshire estate over 'security issues'

Kate Middleton's sister has sparked a row with locals in Berkshire after blocking a footpath from going through her estate, claiming it creates "privacy and security issues". Pippa and husband James Matthews argued that the route gives the pair issues at their 145-acre Barton Court home. The pair bought the Georgian manor in Kintbury, West Berkshire, in 2022 for £15.5million and blocked the walking path that same year. But at a planning inquiry held in the village, which began yesterday, an inspector said that privacy concerns could not be a consideration of the hearing. The 34-bedroom home's previous owner, late retail tycoon Sir Terence Conran, allegedly let locals use the pathway. Pippa and her husband, however, claim the route was never public. Now, a group of more than 30 locals, who are being represented by The Ramblers charity, want to have the path listed as a public right of way, arguing it has been used uninterrupted for decades. It has been claimed that the couple put up signs reading "Private: No Public Access" and "No Trespassing" and blocked access to the lane after they bought the estate. Initially, West Berkshire Council ruled in favour of the residents' application for a public right of way, a decision Mr Matthews challenged. Now, the matter is being heard and discussed at a six-day public inquiry. Yesterday, Ken Taylor, the government-appointed planning inspector overseeing the hearing, said questions of privacy and security were beyond the scope of the inquiry. Instead, the case would be decided based on whether the public had used the route often enough during a 20 year period, from 2002 to 2022, to establish legal rights of access. Paul Wilmhurst, barrister for Mr Matthews, argued that not enough people had used the route to qualify it as a public footpath. He told the inquiry: "It's not a question of whether it's a good or a bad thing. "It works based on the history of the land, based on how people have used it. It has certainly not been used by a significant number of people from the village of Kintbury. It doesn't lead anywhere particularly useful." Legal submissions of behalf of Pippa and Mr Matthews' family argued that granting public access would create "very real practical, privacy difficulties and security issues." But a number of residents spoke in support of maintaining access, describing the path as a safe walking route to the village and important recreationally. Samuel Robins, who has lived in Kintbury since he was a child, told the inquiry he had used the path for years without being challenged. He said: "It's a calm and attractive walk. I've never been stopped or asked to turn around." Others argued that the route was a safer alternative to walking along a main road nearby which does not have pavements. Sophie Redmond, programme manager for paths at the Ramblers (previously know as the Ramblers' Association), said the lane had "been walked by the community for more than 20 years without interruption", which she claimed created a legal right of way. She added that paths being blocked across the country were limiting public access to nature and green spaces. A spokesperson for Pippa and Mr Matthews maintained there had never been a public footpath on the land, according to the Telegraph . They said: "For as long as records exist, there has never been a footpath/public right of way on the land currently under discussion. "There are other clearly marked footpaths nearby. Contrary to media reports, the previous owners of the property from as far back as the 1970s did not allow public access to the land under discussion. It has always been private property." Speaking to The Sun , one resident said: "It's entitled wealthy individuals taking away a right of way from the community. It shows they don't want to be friendly neighbours."