Fourth council opposes £5bn CO2 pipeline plan

HomeNewsUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellTechnologyWatch DocumentariesArtificial IntelligenceIntelligence RevolutionAI v the MindTech NowHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListTo the Ends of the Earth EarthWatch DocumentariesScienceNatural WondersClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesSite searchHomeNewsSportBusinessTechnologyHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersFourth council opposes £5bn CO2 pipeline plan24 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKaleigh WattersonCheshire political reporter, at Tatton ParkBBCProtesters gathered outside the meeting where councillors debated the Peak Cluster projectCheshire East Council has become the fourth local authority to formally oppose the proposed Peak Cluster carbon dioxide pipeline.

Councillors unanimously backed a motion calling on the government not to approve the scheme until concerns over safety, environmental impacts and effects on local communities are addressed.

The £5bn project would transport carbon dioxide captured at cement and lime plants in Derbyshire and Staffordshire to storage sites beneath the Irish Sea.

Supporters say it could cut emissions from hard-to-decarbonise industries and protect jobs, while opponents have raised concerns about safety, environmental damage and disruption during construction.

Cheshire East Council joins Derbyshire County Council, Wirral Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council in formally objecting to the proposals.

The motion was brought by Conservative councillors Lesley Smetham and Hayley Whitaker, with independent councillor Michael Gorman and Labour councillor Dawn Clark also supporting an amended version.

It called on the council to formally object to the scheme, submit its concerns to both the developer and the Planning Inspectorate, and ask Peak Cluster representatives to present the proposals directly to councillors.

The motion also called for letters to be sent to government ministers requesting that approval should not be granted until concerns raised by the council had been resolved.

Residents protesting outside the meeting at Tatton Park were joined by a series of public speakers raising concerns about issues including safety, impacts on farming and rural communities, and the overall cost of the scheme.

Presenting the motion, Smetham said tackling climate change was "essential" but argued "we should not do harm during the process".

She described Peak Cluster as a "costly and extreme proposal" and said there was "no benefit" for the people of Cheshire East.

However, Labour councillor Heather Seddon said the scientific case for carbon capture and storage at a national level was "compelling", but argued the local case for the project had yet to be made.

Council leader Nick Mannion also said action was needed on climate change but questioned whether Peak Cluster represented "the safest and most appropriate response for the cement industry".

Last month, Peak Cluster announced changes to parts of the proposed route and reduced the width of the safeguarded pipeline corridor following consultation feedback from more than 5,500 respondents.

A spokesperson for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the government was delivering industrial-scale carbon capture projects that would support jobs and help decarbonise industries such as cement.

The department said sectors including cement were difficult to decarbonise without carbon capture technology, but added that the Peak Cluster project was being developed privately and was not receiving funding from the department.

The motion was approved unanimously by all 66 councillors present.

After the vote, Whitaker said she was pleased councillors had come together on the issue, although she felt it should have reached full council sooner.

Peak Cluster has been approached for comment.

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