Pippa Matthews' Estate Car Park Ordered Demolished

Pippa Matthews and her husband James have been ordered to remove a car park they constructed without planning permission. The 400 square metre facility was built on a meadow at their 145-acre Barton Court estate in Kintbury. Previously used for grazing and haymaking, the land held local significance for heavy horses that pulled a barge on the nearby canal.

West Berkshire Council issued the order after the couple built the car park for anglers using the estate's fishing facilities. Residents expressed dissatisfaction due to a lack of consultation. Planning inspectors noted the car park introduced a "visually intrusive and urbanised feature" that harmed the rural landscape and the character of the North Wessex Downs.

The estate's retrospective planning application was refused in February, and a subsequent appeal was dismissed in July. A government inspector ruled the car park's scale and appearance were incompatible with the rural setting. This decision follows previous disputes involving the Matthews regarding a footpath on their estate, which they successfully fought to close to the public.