The Government has today (Saturday) rejected appeals to pause the Peak Cluster project in Wirral and the wider ‘carbon capture and underground storage’ programme (‘CCUS’).
Responding to a petition signed by almost 17,000 residents, the Government has said: “There are no plans to pause the development of UK Offshore CO₂ storage projects. Government works with regulators and the public to ensure CO2 storage regulations support the safe deployment of CCUS.”
“The UK does not plan to pause the development of CCUS, as full independent safety, environmental and legal assessments are already carried out for each storage site, and the UK has a strong regulatory environment to deploy CCUS safely.”
So far, 16,845 people have (so far) signed the petition on Parliament’s website.
They are requesting the Government pause all UK offshore CO₂ storage projects until a full independent safety, environmental and legal assessment is completed.
By constituency:
- 5,503 residents of Wirral West have signed the petition so far
- 3,238 in the Wallasey constituency, which includes Moreton and the site of the proposed ‘Above Ground Installation’ with 50m emissions tower.
- 1,213 in Birkenhead and
- 945 in Chester North and Neston
- 787 in Ellesmere Port & Bromborough
Responding, Councillor Jeff Green, Leader of Wirral’s Conservative Councillors, said: “This is an appalling response from a Government which promised, when first elected, to ‘listen’.
“It is a knee jerk rejection to the views of so many Wirral residents and one which I believe the Labour Party, including their representatives in Wirral, will come to regret.
“Legitimate fears and concerns for our environment, eco systems and health and wellbeing have been brushed aside.
“All of us who are against these plans must now strive even harder to stop Peak Cluster and to secure, I hope, another u-turn from the Government.”
At the emergency debate taking place on Monday at Wallasey Town Hall, the Borough’s Conservative Councillors will be seeking the support of all 66 councillors to sign a joint letter to the Government requesting the plan is halted.
In the meantime, tell us what you think. The Government may not be listening, but we are...
