The Princess of Wales’s sister and brother-in-law have won a planning battle to prevent part of their driveway being designated a public footpath after raising concerns over security.
Kate’s sister Pippa married James Matthews, a hedge fund boss, in May 2017, and the family moved to Barton Court in west Berkshire in autumn 2022.
Mr Matthews installed an electric security gate on the drive in September 2022, which prompted walking group West Berkshire Ramblers to apply for a “definitive map modification order” in January 2023 to recognise a public footpath on the land.
He told a planning inquiry at Kintbury Coronation Hall near Hungerford earlier this year that there is a need for a higher level of security at his property due to his family’s high public profile.
Now planning inspector Kenneth Taylor has decided not to confirm the order, which means that the route will not be recorded as a public footpath.
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