Multi-millionaire chemist at war with villagers over plans to move ancient bridleway away from his £2.8million mansion

The multimillionaire chemist behind a controversial firm selling ‘legal’ LSD products has been accused by angry villagers of trying to ‘change history’ over plans to move an old bridleway outside his £2.8million mansion.

Locals say Alexander Stratford, 35, applied to change the route of the 1,000-year-old drive, claiming people were at risk from farm machinery and their privacy was affected.

But they argue his proposed new road would not only eliminate part of the historic route once used to take livestock to market, but would also prevent ramblers and horseback riders from passing through a picturesque ‘green tunnel’ of leafy trees.

Critics also allege that Mr Stratford tried to divert them from the road by placing a bin and unsightly rubbish near the entrance to the shadowy tunnel.

The businessman bought an eight-bedroom farmhouse in Hertfordshire in 2021 and has submitted a series of planning applications for changes to the property, which sits on 66 acres of farmland and woodland and also features a significant barn conversion.

However, it was the ‘Bridleway 21’ plan that infuriated the locals.

Villager Andrew Butler, 56, said: ‘People think they can move here and change things that have been here forever.

‘He has no right to fundamentally change history. I am completely against this. So did the majority of the village.’

County council chairman Wayne Morris complained that someone ‘from the fringes of London’ should not change local history.

‘This is not a simple case of just moving the route a few metres. ‘This has been the route of drivers for over 1000 years.’

A villager who wished to remain anonymous added: ‘This is a disgrace. Leave the roads where they have been for generations.

‘This man thinks he can come to the village and do whatever he wants. This is completely wrong.’

Mr Stratford hosted a meeting in the village’s Five Horseshoes pub, where he offered free drinks while outlining his plans.

But one attendee said: ‘He wants to cut it out [bridleway] He went out for privacy reasons and also said it was for safety purposes as people would be crushed by farm machinery.

‘But there have never been any problems with privacy or farm machinery before.

‘When you come to the farm, the trees meet in the middle and form a green tunnel. Very good. Losing this would be devastating.

Mr Stratford told locals at a meeting in a village pub that people were at risk from farm machinery and their privacy was affected.

Villagers are worried that they will no longer be able to use the ‘green tunnel’ if the route is changed

Situated on 66 acres of farmland and woodland, the eight-bedroom property also includes a significant barn conversion.

A plan submitted to the county council shows the current route in green and the proposed diversion in red

Locals claim hopping and litter prevent people from using the road

‘He has already prepared an alternative route to close it, passing through a nearby field he owns.

‘But you must follow this terrible path he has left, which is not suitable for horses because the substances on the surface are very sharp.’

Mr Morris added: ‘We’ve already had people fall off their bikes. The surface is not right and the animals below are scaring them.’

His wife Sue said: ‘It’s got a big jump and other things that look like it’s to stop people using the road. I complained to the bridleway manager at Hertfordshire County Council.’

Mr Stratford, a Briton, was the founder of Lizard Labs, based in the Netherlands, which produced new LSD derivatives that circumvented drug laws.

The products were sold to countries such as France, Germany and Japan between 2012 and 2024.

In the brochure prepared by a real estate agent when the farm was put up for sale, there is a section titled ‘Right of Way’.

Underneath it says: ‘Please note that there is a public right of way within the boundary.’

District council chairman Wayne Morris said: ‘This is not a simple case of just moving the route a few metres. ‘This has been the route of drivers for over 1000 years.’

Mr. Stratford did not respond to a request for comment.

One member of staff said he was away when approached at his home, which has five bathrooms and five reception rooms and is surrounded by high-tech security features.

Hertfordshire County Council confirmed it had launched a ‘pre-order consultation’ following Mr Stratford’s application.

The village has already been the scene of a heated debate over a different horse route.

63-year-old David Moore and his wife, 59-year-old cancer specialist Dr. Dawn Carnell They have argued for six years against a route through the grounds of their £1.2million property.

They spent £325,000 and took their case to the High Court before appealing to the Court of Appeal earlier this year, warning they were prepared to raise the costs to more than £400,000 – but it is understood they did not appeal to the high court within the required time.

The Ramblers’ road manager Sophie Redmond said: ‘Local roads are lifelines. They connect people to green space, clean air, and better mental and physical health.

‘We need these things now more than ever. However, when there are no safe walking paths near your home, it is almost impossible to make walking in nature a part of daily life.

‘Thousands of kilometers of local roads across Britain are missing, closed or unusable, preventing people from accessing nature close to home.

‘Governments must act now to protect and expand the road network so every community can enjoy nature close to where they live.’