Princess Catherine’s sister Pippa Middleton and James Matthews spark local backlash over blocked footpath on $A29 million estate

Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of Catherine, Princess of Wales is reportedly embroiled in an ugly local dispute.

Middleton and her billionaire husband James Matthews have allegedly blocked access to a footpath that sits on their £17 million ($A29 million) estate, according to The Mail on Sunday.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Pippa Middleton gives birth to third child.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

The report states that the high-profile couple have also installed a warning sign by their 145-acre West Berkshire property gate forbidding locals from using the pathway.

Locals who had walked along the pathway for decades are unhappy with the decision, according to the report.

Middleton and Matthews, a hedge fund manager, moved into the property in 2022 and live there with their three children, Arthur, 5, and daughters Grace, 3, and Rose, 2.

Pippa Matthews and James Matthews in 2023. Credit: Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

The country home is about a 90-minute drive from London.

The walk is not legally a public right of way, however the estate’s previous owner Sir Terence Conran had the pathway open for general use.

“I like to walk, and I don’t see why I can’t walk there. I have been walking along there for 50 years. When Sir Terence had it, he had no objections. I think we should have a right to roam,” one local told The Mail on Sunday.

“I think it is a shame. It is a lovely walk. Although it wasn’t officially a footpath, Sir Terence didn’t have any objections. He was very nice. Everyone liked him. He was quite involved in the village,” a second said.

“It feels (as though) they are depriving the village of an amenity.”

Pippa Matthews and James Matthews exit the church after their wedding ceremony. Credit: Samir Hussein/WireImage

Pippa Middleton, Princess Charlotte of Wales and Catherine Princess of Wales court-side at the 2024 Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage

Matthews submitted a Highway Declaration Notice to West Berkshire Council in March to make the walkway private.

The chairman of the West Berkshire Ramblers, Eugene Futcher, has launched a counter-application to declare the walk a public way.

The West Berkshire Ramblers are involved in actively campaigning on footpath and countryside matters and “regularly respond to things like diversion proposals and planning applications that have the potential to impact the walking environment,” their website states.

The council is expected to make a decision in 2025.

Middleton and Matthews wed in May 2017, with Prince George and Princess Charlotte part of the bridal party.

They have since kept a relatively low profile.