Can Councils Order a Demolition Over an 'Unsightly' Car Park? Lesson From Pippa Middleton

West Berkshire Council has ordered Pippa Middleton, now Pippa Matthews, and her husband James to remove the 400-square-metre car park they built without planning permission at their Barton Court estate in Kintbury. A government-appointed inspector dismissed the couple's appeal in July.

What Happened at Barton Court

The 400-square-metre car park was laid on a meadow at Barton Court, the couple's 145-acre estate in Kintbury. They bought the property in 2022 for £15.5 million. It was built for anglers using the estate's fishing facilities along the river.

Council documents, reported by The Times, show that many parishioners were unhappy to find the meadow converted into a private car park. They cited a lack of consultation on the matter.

The land, previously used for grazing and haymaking, had particular significance for locals. It was the summer home of Monty and Drummer, two heavy horses that pulled a barge along the nearby Kennet and Avon Canal.

Why the Car Park Was Called 'Unsightly'

Planning inspectors, as reported by The Times, said the car park 'introduced a visually intrusive and urbanised feature into an otherwise open meadow' and caused direct harm to the rural landscape. They added that it 'eroded a measure of the open and undeveloped rural character' of the North Wessex Downs.

Residents raised similar concerns. One objector wrote a letter to the council saying they were 'shocked when all the fencing went up and a huge gravel area was laid at the side of this marsh in a rural area'. Others complained that hedgerows, which were historically planted as barriers between fields, according to the BBC, had been removed to make room for the development.

The same objector also questioned why new hard standing was needed when Barton Court is a 'large estate' that 'surely' has hard standing within its own premises.

Why a Council Can Step In

Owning a property does not exempt anyone from planning rules. In England, building work, engineering operations or a change in how land is used generally need permission from the local planning authority. The rules apply whether the owner is a developer or a private landowner with an estate.

Councils decide applications, weighing a project against local and national planning policy, including its effects on surrounding landscape. Land in protected areas, such as the North Wessex Downs where Barton Court sits, is treated with particular care.

Work done without sufficient permissions can still be applied for after the fact through a retrospective application, but the council assesses it as if the work had not yet been done. Approval is still not guaranteed at this stage. If it is refused, the council can take enforcement action, which can include undoing the work.

Owners have the right to appeal. In this case, a government-appointed inspector reviewed the refusal and dismissed the couple's appeal in July. The inspector is independent of the council, and the outcome rested on evidence about the car park's impact and not on who owns the estate.

No public comment was made by the couple regarding the council's decision.

Not the First Time

This is not the first time that the Matthews couple have had a dispute with neighbours. International Business Times reported in April 2026 that the couple also faced the villagers' frustration when access to a long-used footpath near their home was restricted.

A high-profile public inquiry was made. The couple was allowed to officially keep the route closed based on a decision handed down by planning inspector Kenneth Taylor in September 2026.