The chief executive of the Peak Cluster project has insisted that a proposed major gas pipeline running the length of Wirral "will not be unsafe", despite considerable safety concerns among local residents.
Dave Parkin, CEO of Peak Cluster, told the ECHO that while he "completely understands concerns", the safety records for similar projects are "absolutely exemplary".
Project details and local concerns
The proposed Peak Cluster project would take carbon dioxide from lime and cement manufacturing sites in Derbyshire and Staffordshire off-shore to be stored under the Irish Sea, via the Wirral peninsula. While the project's developers point to the millions of tonnes of CO₂ emissions that would be saved each year, residents and local politicians continuously raise potential environmental and safety concerns.
Mr Parkin spoke with the ECHO as a new round of consultation on the project has been launched. He stressed that consultations "are not box ticking exercises", pointing to how people's submissions have previously led to changes to the project's plans.
Reduced footprint in Wirral
The previous consultation window led to the Wirral leg of the project being significantly reduced. An updated plan for Wirral now includes a smaller above ground installation (AGI) which would cover an area around 80m x 80m, and a block valve station (BVS) which will be around 25m x 25m. Combined, the area required in Wirral for this infrastructure is a reduction of more than 85% from the originally planned compressor station. The planned chimney has also been reduced to a maximum height of 10m, from the originally proposed 50m.
Wirral Council has been vocal in its objection to the plans, however as the project is seen as a piece of nationally significant infrastructure, planning permission for the scheme would be granted by the secretary of state, not the local council.
Planning process and climate goals
As the decision, which will affect Wirral, will be made elsewhere despite local objections, Mr Parkin said: "I do understand the argument which says that is undemocratic." But he added: "This is the process we go through for nationally significant infrastructure. Whether it's a new airport, a motorway, or a pipeline, planning permission is granted by the secretary of state. I can't affect that and Wirral Council can't affect that."
He emphasised that "communities still have a very real voice in this process".
Mr Parkin said he believes the "why" is often lost in the discussion around the project. He told the ECHO: "Fundamentally, this is a climate project. The weather which this planet is now facing is horrendous. We've had the hottest summer we've ever had, and it's forecast to get worse so the UK and other countries around the world need to take bold action and that is what this project is."
Consultation events and timeline
A new consultation event will take place in Port Sunlight's Hulme Hall on December 3. An online webinar will take place on November 23. The consultation runs from today, November 12 to December 18. It seeks feedback on refinements to the project's proposed boundary, the area within which Peak Cluster proposes to build permanent infrastructure including the buried pipeline, and the locations of above ground installations, block valve stations and temporary construction areas and access roads in most locations.
