Wirral councillors have unanimously rejected a request to grant access to council land for the controversial £5bn Peak Cluster carbon capture project, with one councillor offering to "lay in the mud naked" to prevent it.
At a meeting of Wirral Council's Policy and Resource committee on Wednesday evening, councillors voted against granting land access to Peak Cluster, a government-backed scheme that would transport carbon dioxide from lime and cement manufacturing sites in Derbyshire and Staffordshire for storage under the Irish Sea.
The planned route would see the underground pipe traverse the full length of the Wirral Peninsula before heading into the sea. The developers are seeking access to council land to carry out surveys.
Legal powers remain after refusal
Despite the refusal, a report to the committee explained that Peak Cluster "will be in a position to authorise staff and contractors to access the land and if the council were to in any way impede access, then Peak Cluster would be entitled to seek a warrant from a magistrates court."
Ahead of the debate, councillors were told that if they had already made their decision and were not willing to enter the discussion with an open mind, they should not take part in the vote.
Councillor vows to protest in the mud
As a result, Reform UK's Cllr Kathy Hodson chose not to vote, as she "would be voting against it no matter what." She added that she would be willing to "lay in the mud naked" to prevent the land being dug up.
The rest of the committee unanimously rejected Peak Cluster's request, with Labour, Lib Dem, Green, and Conservative councillors all speaking against the project.
Labour councillor Mark Skillicorn said there had been "a lot of anxiety among residents" since the meeting papers were released. The leader of Wirral Council, Labour's Cllr Paula Basnett, who chaired the meeting, thanked residents for sending in their views.
Opposition remains resolute
After the meeting, Green councillor Gail Jenkinson said: "Having carefully considered the advice, we supported the decision not to grant Peak Cluster access to council-owned land for these surveys. Sadly, Peak Cluster is still likely to be able to proceed with them relatively quickly through other legal powers.
"But our opposition remains resolute. We do not support this pipeline or the construction of a huge Above Ground Installation here. We will continue the fight to protect Wirral, its residents and its environment."
