Local MP Samantha Dixon has renewed her opposition to the proposed Peak Cluster carbon capture pipeline, saying she believes the scheme is not the right approach to tackling carbon emissions.

The Peak Cluster project is a proposed carbon capture and storage scheme designed to transport carbon dioxide captured from four cement and lime producers in Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

The planned underground pipeline would run for around 120–125 miles through Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Cheshire and Wirral before transporting the captured carbon dioxide for permanent storage in depleted gas reservoirs beneath the Irish Sea.

Supporters of the scheme argue that carbon capture and storage will play a role in reducing industrial emissions and supporting climate targets.

However, opponents have raised concerns about the pipeline route, the impact on farmland and countryside, disruption during construction, and the long-term implications of maintaining the infrastructure.

In a statement released today, Samantha Dixon criticised the project's consultation process and raised concerns about its potential impact on environmental habitats across her constituency.

She said: "The proposals outlined by Peak Cluster have been characterised by poor engagement and a worrying disregard for the environmental habitats of my constituency.

"I do not accept that this is the best way to deal with CO2 emissions. The investment being proposed for this destructive pipeline would be better used in seeking a more sustainable way to convert CO2 into a clean gas that can be a positive in our future economy.

"I am opposed to the current proposals."

The MP added that she had previously contacted both Peak Cluster and the relevant government minister over residents' concerns but said she was not satisfied with the responses received.

"As constituents who've contacted me previously will know, I have already written to both Peak Cluster and the relevant Minister," she said.

"I am not satisfied with their responses so I will be writing to them again."

Her comments follow similar concerns raised by Chester South and Eddisbury MP Aphra Brandreth, who previously said residents had raised "serious concerns" about the proposed route.

These included the impact on farmland and the countryside, disruption during construction, and the long-term implications of maintaining the pipeline.

Following the appointment of a new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ms Brandreth wrote to the minister alongside neighbouring MPs Esther McVey and Sarah Pochin, urging the government to ensure the concerns of local communities are fully considered.

The renewed opposition also follows a vote by Cheshire West and Chester Council earlier this year, when councillors backed a motion raising concerns about the pipeline route through the borough.

At a full council meeting in May, councillors agreed to oppose the proposals in their current form and write to ministers outlining concerns about the environmental impact, the consultation process and the effect on local communities.

The vote followed calls from councillors and campaigners who argued more information was needed about the impact of the pipeline and the benefits local communities would receive.

The project still requires final approval. As a nationally significant infrastructure project, Cheshire West and Chester Council does not have the power to approve or reject the scheme directly.

Instead, councils and other organisations can submit representations to the Planning Inspectorate, which will examine the application before a final decision is made by the government.