Couple are locked in neighbour row with Old Etonian ‘who dated Princess Kate’ over 113-acre solar panel project

Prince William’s old Ethon schoolmate was locked in a battle with a couple on his plans to build a solar farm that surrounds 1 million pounds of farm.

Sir Henry Ropner, 43, William and William have accepted an agreement to rent 113 acres of land to build a solar farm in North Yorkshire.

However, Nigel and Crystal Foster, 63 and 59 years old, so that thousands of solar panels will surround the isolated features, their lives ‘peaceful, calm and pastoral’ views are threatened, he says.

Surveyors rented semi -pensions have been living in Lord’s Moor Farm, a four -bedroom farmhouse, which they have purchased the 18th century farm house for £ 200,000 since 1997.

Investment Manager Sir Henry, along with his family, in the 100 -acre forest land of Thorp Perrow II. He lives at the Thorp Perrow Hall listed in the classroom.

According to the land registration documents, Sir Henry made an option for an unnamed total with an renewable energy company of Enviromena Developments in February 2024.

As part of the agreement, at least by February 2031, he promises not to sell his land without the permission of the developer.

Plans for the Sun Farm were presented in July and is currently waiting for a council decision.

The land belongs to 43 -year -old Sir Henry Ropner, a former Ethonian schoolmate of Prince William, who was reported to be released with Kate Middleton when the couple briefly separated. In the picture: Kate comes to Mahiki in London in 2007 with Sir Henry

Fosters says ‘peaceful, calm and pastoral’ views are threatened by a large 113 -acre sun farm plans, saying that their lives are turned upside down

However, the host Mr Foster promised to fight the plan, saying that it was to accuse the ‘Culture Conflict’ dispute.

He said: ‘The land owner comes from a past of the metropolitan private capital type of commercial values ​​compared to us in the sticks we have the values ​​based on the traditional family country.

“ Two are not great bedmates. They fight together.

`This is a gap, this is a cliff and we are struggling.

He’s struggling with him, so is it. Our positions do not really agree.

‘We are completely against the scheme and we will fight everything we have.

“ I hope it stops before us. ”

According to the developer Enviromena, 113 acres of sun farm would produce enough power for 13,830 home and save 7,730 tons of CO2 emissions.

Fosters, who raised three children on land, bought the property from Sir Henry’s deceased father Sir John Ropner 28 years ago.

Although they love their homes, the couple says that they will be willing to give up if the developers offered to buy a purchase.

However, the demands of a way out were rejected.

Mr. Foster said: ‘If we were in our 90s or in the 80s, or forbade God, there was only one of them here, we would not have war or energy to get these people.

“ We were crushed by them. All they are interested in is the money. They don’t care about the people they affect.

“ They would love us a fox in a cluster of chickens. They used to clean us.

This underlines the harmful nature of this irregular industry. Injustice. ‘

Collection of donations a wafer, In donation, which aims to finance legal advice to challenge plans, more than £ 3,000More than 850 people They signed an online petition against plans.

Initially, developers planned to completely surround the couple’s house with solar panels.

Plans were then changed to include some ‘vision’ gaps – but they say that this is not enough.

In July, plans were made to the Sun Farm and a council decision is currently waiting. Picture: Approximately area of ​​the planned solar panels and Foster’s house

Mr. Foster said: ‘You don’t think of noisy transformer centers, CCTV every 50 meters, danger of death signs, security fences and all other things that come with it.

“ This does not enter your mind until you do not do your research and homework and do it.

‘After doing this, because you are horrified by the expectation of this.’

Mrs. Foster, ‘When this industrialization is surrounded by fences. There will be CCTV cameras.

“ Depending on which direction they send them, every day, every day will feel that we are almost watching.

‘These sites attract criminals and this is well known.’

A reproductive bird survey conducted in 2024 found 164 pairs of 38 bird species, including red -listed home sparrows, Gray Partges, Skylark and Lapwings.

According to RSPB, the number of tours throughout the country has decreased by 55 percent since the 1960s.

The type has been listed as ‘Near threat sub -‘ in the IUCN Red List since 2016.

Mr. Foster said the opinion of the open spaces was what attracted the pair home.

‘This is what sells to us: that peaceful, calm, pastoral, typical British rural areas.’

According to plans, solar panels with a length of 7.2 meters (23.5 FT) will rise from the ground to a maximum of 2.89 meters (9.5 ft).

If approved, the farm will be the third approved Sun Farm in the last six years in the radius of 10 km.

Mr. Foster says that the couple is ‘completely supportive’ with renewable energy and solar energy – but instead of the panels on the roofs, on the parking lots and think that they should go to the previously developed lands.

Enviromena says that the farm will provide ‘net biological diversity gain’ – quoted from RSPB research showing that the solar farms in Cambridge University and East Anglia support more bird species than nearby terrain.

A spokesman said that when the land was used for agricultural purposes, he struggles to provide consistent or profitable returns for the landowner ‘.

Enviromena said he had identified the site before he approached Sir Henry, who agreed to rent the land subject to planning.

However, when used for agricultural purposes, the land does not confirm how much money it earns or lost and how much they pay for the use of the land.

Sir Henry and his wife Natasha Sinclair, Lady Melissa Percy and Thomas van Straubenzee at the wedding in 2013 at the St Michael Church in Alnwick

Land Registry Documents said that the land was worth £ 875,000 in January 2015.

Lee Adams, the commercial manager of Enviromena, said the company’s net zero targets and renewable energy projects that support ‘respect’ communities’.

“With Fosters, we have been busy more than once and responded to his requests for the purchase of a potential property in writing.

‘Although we have explained that this is not possible, we offered to discover whether to help relieve more concerns in our plans.’

Sir Henry did not respond to the demands made through the Thorp Perrow land.

Enviromena said that the landowner has instructed him to respond and offered to receive a list of questions that do not receive a direct response to the landowner.

A company spokesman added: ‘Sun farms occupy only a small part of the land, leaving scope for important ecological improvements.

‘Existing trees and fences will be protected and protected and more domestic planting will be given to strengthen local habitats and contribute to the wider ecological network.

‘Enviromena is responsible for all planning and communication related to the project.’

The Planning Authority North Yorkshire Council said he could not comment on a live application.