MP speaks in Peak Cluster Debate

Macclesfield MP Tim Roca raised the community’s concerns about Peak Cluster in the House of Commons during a debate on 15th June.

The adjournment debate, led by Aphra Brandreth MP (Chester South and Eddisbury) saw Minster for Energy Michael Shanks MP responding on behalf of the Government.

During the debate, the Minister outlined that carbon capture “will decarbonise industry and power in a way that drives economic growth and supports jobs, as well as our climate goals.“ Minister Shanks outlined that carbon capture is “a very tried-and-tested technology that has been deployed across industry and power generation at scale for a long time.”

Tim Roca raised the importance of effective consultation noting that his constituents “have questions that we should accept in good faith—questions about the route, about public safety, and about the environmental impact.”

Minister Shanks responded stating that consultation must be a “listening exercise, and a shaping of things on the basis of what we here back” process. The Minister went on to state that the Government was yet to make a decision on whether it supported the project, stating it would “be completed once the proposal is submitted and will be completed in the way that these processes always are—in a quasi-judicial way, by the Secretary of State.”

Speaking on social media, Tim Roca highlighted that the project is not being led by the government and that Peak Cluster Ltd will need to demonstrate they have listened to communities before proposals progress in the planning system.

“I have further meetings with Peak Cluster coming up and there are still a number of questions that I want answered. Before reaching a final view on the proposals, I want to be fully across the detail and ensure that the concerns being raised by my constituents have been properly addressed” said Tim.