Etonian linked to Kate Middleton faces neighbour dispute over 113-acre North Yorkshire solar farm

Bedale, North Yorkshire — a plan to build a 113-acre solar farm around a rural Bedale property has sparked a high-profile clash between a landowner with ties to the royal circle and the neighbours who would live closest to the project. Sir Henry Ropner, 43, an Etonian schoolmate of Prince William who reportedly dated Catherine, Princess of Wales, during the couple’s brief split, has agreed to lease land to Enviromena Developments for the solar farm near Bedale. The plan has drawn opposition from Nigel and Crystal Foster, who live at Lord’s Moor Farm, a four-bedroom property they have occupied since 1997.

Under the deal, Land Registry records show Ropner agreed in February 2024 to an option with Enviromena to lease 113 acres of land for the project, with a pledge not to sell without the developer’s permission until at least February 2031. Plans for the solar farm were submitted in July and are currently awaiting a decision from North Yorkshire Council. The land sits near the Grade II-listed Thorp Perrow Hall and is part of the woodland estate the Ropners manage.

Nigel Foster, 63, a semi-retired chartered surveyor, and Crystal Foster, 59, say their peaceful countryside views would be swallowed by thousands of solar panels surrounding their home. “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,” Mr. Foster said, adding that the two are “not great bedfellows” and that their positions are “irreconcilable.” The couple say they will fight the scheme “with everything we’ve got” and hope the landowner will reconsider before it’s too late.

Enviromena says the 113-acre site would generate enough electricity to power about 13,830 homes and would save roughly 7,730 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The Fosters raised three children on the property, which they bought from Sir Henry’s late father, Sir John Ropner, 28 years ago. They say they would have accepted a buyout if offered, but their attempts to negotiate a way out have been declined. “If we were in our 80s or 90s 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,” Mr. Foster said. “They don’t care about the people they affect.” He described the plan as a “clash of cultures” between metropolitan financial interests and rural, traditional life.

A GoFundMe page to fund legal advice against the project has raised more than £3,000, and an online petition has drawn more than 850 signatures. The developers initially proposed surrounding the home completely, but the plans were revised to include some “view” gaps. The Fosters say the revised layout still threatens their privacy and could bring CCTV, security fencing and other infrastructure around their property. The couple’s family connection to the land runs back to their purchase from the late Sir Henry’s father; they say they would have preferred a different outcome but were unable to secure an exit.

Environment and biodiversity considerations are part of the debate. A 2024 breeding bird survey on the site recorded 164 pairs representing 38 species, including red-listed house sparrows, grey partridges, skylarks and lapwings. The RSPB notes that lapwing numbers have fallen nationwide by about 55% since the 1960s and lists the species as near threatened. Enviromena says the site was chosen because the land had struggled to deliver profitable agricultural yields and argues that solar-farm development can deliver ecological benefits, including retention of existing trees and hedgerows and the planting of native species to strengthen local habitats. A spokesperson said the company identified the site before approaching Sir Henry, who agreed to lease the land subject to planning consent, and that negotiations through the landowner precluded public disclosure of the lease terms and value. The company added that solar farms occupy only a small portion of land and would deliver a net biodiversity gain.

Sir Henry has not commented through the Thorp Perrow estate, and Enviromena said the landowner instructed the company to address questions on their behalf, though no direct response was received. The company emphasized its responsibility for planning and communications related to the project. Planning officials with North Yorkshire Council said they cannot comment on a live application, as the municipal process continues. If approved, the project would feature 7.2-meter-long solar panels rising up to 2.89 meters above the ground and would mark the third solar farm approved within about a 10-kilometer radius over the past six years, underscoring a trend toward solar capacity in the region. The Fosters and their supporters say renewables should be prioritized in rooftops, car parks or previously developed land rather than rural landscapes where views, privacy and habitats are a priority for some residents.