The godfather of Prince Louis and a friend of Prince William has upset residents and farmers with plans to lease 15 acres of his estate in the Buckinghamshire countryside to a biogas project. 

Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, 44, has agreed to allow Acorn Bioenergy to use part of his private land at Hornage Farm to build England’s largest biogas-to-grid digestion plant. 

Anaerobic digestion generates energy by breaking down organic matter, such as food and agricultural waste. This material is broken down in sealed tanks to create biogas which can then be pumped into the national gas grid. 

But campaigners argue it will increase noise pollution, reduce air quality, and pose a risk of toxic waste spilling into nearby waterways. 

They also fear that the estimated 30,000 journeys being made by HGVs to ferry 150,000 tons of organic material through nine villages will cause more potholes on the roads and risk road safety. 

A spokesperson for campaign group Say No to Acorn told The Times: ‘The proposed plant in open countryside will create significant harm to road safety because of the exceptional burden from HGVs on rural roads. It will harm the landscape [and] heritage and leaves important questions unresolved about water supply, pollution, odour, noise, technical capacity and environmental benefit.’ 

John Brown’s farm adjoins the proposed site and he called the plant ‘completely inappropriate’. 

Harry Aubrey-Fletcher, 44, has agreed to allow Acorn Bioenergy to use part of his private land at Hornage Farm to build England’s largest biogas-to-grid digestion plant (pictured here is the proposed plans)

Aubrey-Fletcher is one of William’s closest friends, having attended Ludgrove Prep School and Eton with him. They are pictured together in October last year at Villa Park celebrating Aston Villa’s Champions League victory against Bayern Munich 

‘This is not a proposal for green or sustainable energy produced by waste material,’ he told The Times. 

‘Don’t be fooled. What is required by the plant will be transported from miles away and I do not see how the local rural infrastructure will cope with all the increased traffic.’

Conservative MP Greg Smith has written to Buckinghamshire Council to oppose the plans. 

Aubrey-Fletcher and Acorn Energy said in a statement that Hornage Green Power ‘will help tackle the energy crisis by providing enough renewable gas to heat 9,500 homes’. 

‘Our plans are in the right place to secure benefits for the rural economy while avoiding harms,’ they said. 

‘Throughout the four-year-long planning process we have listened carefully to feedback from the community. 

‘We have designed our proposals to ensure there are no unacceptable impacts on local people while ensuring the best possible proposals for farmers and the environment. 

‘We are delighted this has been confirmed by the council’s independent statutory consultees, who have no objections to the plans.’  

Buckinghamshire Council is meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to give the plans the go-ahead, which have so far received 1,125 objections. 

The Daily Mail has contacted Acorn Bioenergy for further comment.  

Aubrey-Fletcher is one of William’s closest friends, having attended Ludgrove Prep School and Eton with him.

The Prince and Princess of Wales attended Aubrey-Fletcher’s wedding to Louise Stourton in January 2011, just four months before the couple’s own nuptials.

William was an usher at the ceremony, held at Aldborough Parish Church in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire.

Aubrey-Fletcher is the youngest son of Sir Henry Aubrey-Fletcher, 8th Baronet and Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire.

His similarly blue-blooded wife, who also attended Prince Louis’ christening, is the eldest daughter of Edward Stourton, the 24th Baron Stourton, 28th Baron Segrave, 27th Baron Mowbray.

Aubrey-Fletcher made headlines in 2013 for playfully tugging on Prince William’s ear during that year’s Cheltenham Festival.

He was also one of the main guests at Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle.