James Matthews, husband of Pippa Matthews and brother-in-law to the Princess of Wales, returned to his ongoing planning inquiry today to contest an application that would designate part of his estate's driveway as a public footpath.
The businessman gave evidence at Kintbury Coronation Hall in Hungerford, where he outlined why the route across his Barton Court property in West Berkshire should remain private.
It comes after a spokeswoman from West Berkshire Council confirmed to GB News on May 20: "The inquiry has now paused until Thursday 28th May when it will resume at Coronation Hall, Kintbury."
She added: "When the inquiry resumes further witnesses will come forward to make statements and be open to cross-examination by both parties, and the Inspector."
James Matthews (middle) is having crunch talks with village locals over a footpath, and whether it should be publicly accessible
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Mr Matthews told the hearing today: "There are implications for my family, due to their high public profile, which means there is a need for a higher level of security than would otherwise be the case if the circumstances were different."
The Matthews family relocated to the estate in autumn 2022, having completed the purchase that August.
Prior to taking up residence, Mr Matthews arranged for an electric security gate to be erected at the entrance, with installation completed in September 2022.
"When the gate was put in, no one from the parish council or the village came to speak with us, or contacted us, about the gate to say that there was any problem with it being there," he stated.
Pippa Matthews moved to the area with her family in 2022
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The financier noted that nothing during the property purchase process had indicated any public usage of the driveway.
Following the subsequent footpath application, security measures have been strengthened further.
"In the period after the footpath application, unfortunately there has been a continued need to enhance security and the gates at Station Road have therefore been upgraded in the summer of 2025 and kept closed," Mr Matthews explained.
The West Berkshire Ramblers submitted its application to establish a public right of way in January 2023, prompted by the installation of the electric gate months earlier.
Pippa wed James Matthews in 2017 | GETTYWest Berkshire Council determined that the proposed route was "reasonably alleged to exist as a public right of way," though Mr Matthews has formally objected to this finding.
The council's submission to the inquiry outlined the legal basis for such designations, explaining that a public footpath can be recognised if the public has enjoyed access for an uninterrupted 20-year period "without force, secrecy or permission."
Alternatively, designation may occur where evidence suggests a previous landowner dedicated the route for public use, and this was subsequently accepted through regular usage by local residents.
David Hill, who managed the Barton Court estate from 2016 until the Matthews family purchased it, told the inquiry he did not recall regularly encountering people being asked to leave the driveway.
Pippa Matthews is the younger sister of the Princess of Wales | PA"There was no consistent pattern of people coming and going," Mr Hill stated, estimating he might come across a lost individual roughly once every two to three months, though sometimes less frequently.
These were always solitary walkers rather than groups, he added.
Mr Matthews himself said he had witnessed only a handful of people on the drive across three and a half years, on perhaps two or three occasions.
A spokesman for the couple maintained that no public right of way has ever existed on the land in question, noting that signage indicating private property has been present for decades.
The inquiry is set to continue until a decision is about about the footpath.