Derbyshire campaigners plan relay walk against Peak Cluster carbon capture pipeline route

Campaigners in Derbyshire are holding a relay walk on 27 September to protest the Peak Cluster carbon capture pipeline, a proposed 200km route from Buxton and Hope Valley cement and lime plants to storage sites under the Irish Sea. The group, Action Against Carbon Capture Storage, says the pipeline corridor would cross the Peak District, pose safety risks if CO2 leaked, and disrupt farmland and biodiversity. Walk sections run from Hope, Buxton, Dove Holes, Chapel-en-le-Frith, Whaley Bridge and Disley. Peak Cluster says the project is needed to cut about three million tonnes of CO2 a year from cement and lime production, which accounts for roughly 7.5% of global emissions. It argues carbon capture is the only way to decarbonise these plants while keeping UK supply and protecting 13,000 jobs by 2050. The scheme is still in pre-application, with a Development Consent Order expected in 2027. Derbyshire County Council has opposed the current route while supporting funding for reducing emissions at source. The government has awarded £28.6m toward the estimated £59.6m project. The debate now is less about whether cement and lime can be decarbonised, and more about where the pipeline goes, how safe it is, and who carries the risk.