I stand squarely with constituents in opposition to the proposed Peak Cluster. The project proposes to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from cement and lime plants in Derbyshire and Staffordshire, pressurise it, then transfer it 125 miles across Cheshire and off the coast via the Wirral to be stored in depleted gas fields under the seabed. It is a completely unnecessary pipeline and another net zero fantasy project.
After a meeting with local residents in Byley (who will be impacted by this), I started a petition calling on government to reject the plans, and to date more than more than 1,350 people have signed it. In due course, I will take the petition to Downing Street and hope to secure a Parliamentary debate on the.
At present there are two possible routes around Middlewich one which is close to Byley and the other takes in Sproston. Outside of the Tatton constituency, in Cheshire it will cut across / skirt around Bollington, Henbury, Gawsworth, Marton, Twemslow Green, Congleton, Winsford, Chester and Ellsmere Port.
If this gets the go-ahead, it will be the world’s largest cement decarbonisation project and while it will initially store CO2 captured from Derbyshire and Staffordshire, it’s been reported the infrastructure will be designed in such a way that it can import and transport CO2 from other countries in the future.
The North West is not a dumping ground for waste products, either from other parts of the country or anywhere else in the world.
Residents are rightly concerned about safety and health hazards if a leak were to happen. The line also has the potential to be an environmental disaster and cause untold damage to lots of sites of scientific interest, agricultural land and some of our towns and villages.
It is ironic that this Labour government considers this an environmental project, when it does the complete opposite.
The costs involved are astronomical. Peak Cluster – the consortium of four cement and lime plants in the UK proposing the line - want £5 billion in government support. This figure will undoubtedly rise.
We must fight this. All we are doing is storing up issues for future generations. What happens when we run out of room to store the gas? What happens if it leaks under the sea? Will it be left there forever or will it need to be re-located?
To sign the petition visit www.esthermcvey.com/campaigns/sign-petition-stop-peak-cluster-pipeline-now
