A former Eton schoolmate of Prince William is locked in a battle with a couple over plans to build a solar farm that would surround their £1m farmhouse.
Sir Henry Ropner, 43, who reportedly dated Kate Middleton when she and William briefly split, has agreed a deal to lease 113 acres of land to build a solar farm in North Yorkshire.
But Nigel and Crystal Foster, aged 63 and 59, say their lives have been turned upside down as their ‘peaceful, tranquil, and pastoral’ views of the Yorkshire Dales are under threat, as thousands of solar panels would surround their isolated property.
The semi-retired chartered surveyors have lived in their four-bedroom farmhouse, Lord’s Moor Farm, in Bedale, since 1997, when they bought the 18th-century farmhouse for £200,000.
Sir Henry, an investment manager, lives with his family two miles away at the Grade II listed Thorp Perrow Hall, situated on the 100-acre woodland estate of Thorp Perrow.
According to Land Registry documents, Sir Henry made an option agreement for an undisclosed sum with a renewable energy company, owned by Enviromena Developments, in February 2024.
As part of the agreement, he promises not to sell his land without the developer’s permission until at least February 2031.
Plans for the solar farm were submitted in July and are currently awaiting a council decision.
Nigel and Crystal Foster, aged 63 and 59, have lived in their four-bedroom farmhouse, Lord’s Moor Farm, in Bedale, North Yorkshire, since 1997
The land is owned by Sir Henry Ropner, 43, an old Etonian schoolmate of Prince William, who reportedly dated Kate Middleton when the couple briefly split. Pictured: Kate with Sir Henry arriving at Mahiki in London in 2007
The Fosters say their lives have been turned upside down as their ‘peaceful, tranquil, and pastoral’ views are under threat by plans for a massive 113-acre solar farm
However, homeowner Mr Foster has vowed to fight the plan, saying a ‘clash of cultures’ is to blame for the dispute.
He said: ‘The landowner comes from a background of metropolitan private equity type commercial values, as compared to us out here in the sticks, where we have traditional family country based values.
‘The two are not great bedfellows. They struggle alongside one another.
‘That’s quite a gap, it’s a chasm, and we’re struggling.
‘He’s struggling with it, and so are we. Our positions, really, are irreconcilable.
‘We’re totally opposed to the scheme, and we will fight it with everything we’ve got.
‘Hopefully he’ll stop before we do.’
According to developer Enviromena, the 113-acre solar farm would generate enough power for 13,830 homes, saving 7,730 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
The Fosters, who raised three children on the land, bought the property from Sir Henry’s late father, Sir John Ropner, 28 years ago.
Despite loving their home, the couple say they would have been willing to give it up if developers had offered a buyout.
But their requests for a way out were refused.
Mr Foster said: ‘If we were in our 90s or 80s now, or if God forbid there was just one of us left here, we wouldn’t have the fight, the energy, to take these people on.
‘We would just be crushed by them. All they’re interested in is money. They don’t care about the people they affect.
‘They would have us like a fox in a coop of chickens. They would clear us out.
‘That underlines the harmful nature of this unregulated industry. It’s unjust.’
A GoFundMe fundraiser, which aims to fund legal advice to challenge the plans, has received over £3,000 in donations, while over 850 people have signed an online petition against the plans.
Originally, developers planned to completely surround the couple’s home with solar panels.
Plans were subsequently altered to include some ‘view’ gaps – but they say this isn’t enough.
Plans were submitted for the solar farm in July and are currently awaiting a council decision. Pictured: The approximate area of planned solar panels and the Foster’s home
Mr Foster said: ‘You don’t think about the noisy substations, CCTV every 50 metres, danger of death signs, security fences, and all the other stuff that goes with it.
‘That just doesn’t enter your mind until and unless you’ve done your research and homework.
‘Once you’ve done that, you’re appalled at the prospect of it.’
Ms Foster said: ‘When this is industrialised we’ll be surrounded by fences. There will be CCTV cameras.
‘It’ll feel like we’re monitored pretty much all day, every day, depending on which direction they’re sending them in.
‘These sites attract criminals and that is well-recognised.’
A breeding bird survey carried out in 2024 found 164 pairs of 38 species of birds, including red-listed house sparrows, grey partridges, skylarks and lapwings, use the site.
According to the RSPB, lapwing numbers across the country have decreased by 55 per cent since the 1960s.
The species has been listed on the IUCN Red List as ‘near threatened’ since 2016.
Mr Foster said the view of open fields was what drew the couple to the home.
He added: ‘That is what sold this place to us: that peaceful, tranquil, pastoral, typical English countryside.’
According to plans, the 7.2-metre (23.5 ft) long solar panels will rise a maximum of 2.89 metres (9.5 ft) from the ground.
If approved, the farm would become the third approved solar farm within a 10km radius in the last six years.
Mr Foster says the couple are ‘fully supportive’ of renewables and solar – but instead think panels should go on rooftops, above car parks, and on previously developed land.
Enviromena says the farm would deliver a ‘net biodiversity gain’ – quoting University of Cambridge and RSPB research which shows solar farms in East Anglia supported more bird species than nearby arable land.
A spokesperson said the land had ‘struggled to deliver consistent or profitable yields for the landowner’ when used for agricultural purposes.
Enviromena says it identified the site before approaching Sir Henry directly, who agreed to lease the land subject to planning consent.
But it would not confirm how much money the land was making or losing when used for agricultural purposes, and how much they paid for use of the land.
Sir Henry and wife Natasha Sinclair at the wedding of Lady Melissa Percy and Thomas van Straubenzee at St Michael’s Church in Alnwick in 2013
Land Registry documents say the land was valued at £875,000 back in January 2015.
Lee Adams, chief commercial officer at Enviromena, said the company was ‘committed’ to renewable energy projects which support net zero targets and ‘respect’ communities.
He added: ‘We have engaged with the Fosters on multiple occasions and responded in writing to their request regarding a potential property purchase.
‘Although we explained that this was not possible, we offered to explore whether further refinements to our plans might help address their concerns.’
Sir Henry did not respond to requests made via the Thorp Perrow estate.
Enviromena said the landowner had instructed it to respond on their behalf, and offered to take a list of questions to the landowner, which did not receive a direct response.
A company spokesperson added: ‘Solar farms occupy only a small proportion of the land, leaving scope for significant ecological enhancements.
‘Existing trees and hedgerows will be retained and protected, and further native planting will be introduced to strengthen local habitats and contribute to the wider ecological network.
‘Enviromena is responsible for all planning and communications relating to the project.’
Planning authority North Yorkshire Council said it could not comment on a live application.
