A parish council has raised a series of concerns over plans for a major CO2 pipeline proposed to run through North Rode as part of the Peak Cluster carbon-capture project.
The scheme aims to capture carbon dioxide from lime and cement works in the Peak District and transport it by pipeline to the Wirral, before pumping it out to depleted gas fields off Morecambe for long-term storage.
In North Rode, the pipeline from Cauldon Cement Works is planned to cross the River Dane to the south and run due north, cutting across Bank Lane and Pexall Road/Shellow Lane.
In the latest parish magazine, North Rode Parish Council said the project “will undoubtedly lead to disruption to farming, grazing and crops and local access for villagers”. The council has submitted a number of questions as part of the consultation, seeking clarity on how the route would be constructed and how disruption would be managed.
The questions included:
• How the River Dane will be crossed and how disruption to wildlife will be minimised;
• How narrow and busy lanes in North Rode will be crossed with minimal impact on road users, residents, businesses and farms;
• How access will be maintained for farmers whose land is bisected by the working width;
• What building or farming restrictions will apply alongside and above the pipeline;
• How access for footpaths across the working width will be maintained.
The Campaign to Protect Rural England has published information on the project, stressing the importance of engaging with the consultation.
It said the project was not yet approved and its future remained uncertain; the route was not fixed and alternative options can still be considered; environmental impacts were still being assessed; and mitigation measures had not yet been designed, meaning communities can still influence what protections are put in place.
Community feedback, it said, can shape both the route and how the project is delivered.
The parish council noted that while the pipeline trench itself was expected to remain open for less than two weeks, the wider working width could stay open for access for up to six months after installation. It also said Peak Cluster was seeking voluntary agreements for subterranean leases rather than wayleaves.
The current phase of consultation runs until 11.59pm tomorrow (Friday).
Coun Huw Williams, chair of North Rode Parish Council, said: “For your feedback to be formally recognised you must submit this directly to Peak Cluster before the end of this period, using the form and email address on the Peak Cluster website. Feedback will be used to develop the plans at the end of 2026, before a second consultation is run.”
Peak Cluster can be contacted via its website (peakcluster.co.uk), by email at Consultation@peakcluster.co.uk, by freephone on 0800 0129 167, or by writing to Freepost Peak Cluster.
