Madonnas ongoing wrangle with ramblers over the opening of public footpaths on her country estate will be taken to a public enquiry.
The star and her husband Guy Ritchie are battling to save their privacy as new "right to roam" laws look set to allow walkers across parts of their 1,200-acre Wiltshire manor.
The Countryside Agency has already agreed to keep some 15 acres of Madonnas land private, as public access would have brought sightseers and the paparazzi within 100 yards of the couples mansion.
"There will be a public inquiry but a date has not yet been set," a spokeswoman for the Planning Inspectorate said.
'JB'