Peak Cluster could disrupt Cheshire East's housing plans across a large part of the borough and potentially impact the Middlewich Bypass, council officers fear.

The proposed scheme aims to capture harmful carbon dioxide from cement and lime plants in Derbyshire and Staffordshire and transfer it by pipeline to a storage facility under the Irish Sea.

The preferred route has not yet been decided – but if it was to receive government approval, the suggested 121-mile underground pipeline would pass through parts of Cheshire.

Cheshire East's corporate policy committee is due to discuss the controversial project on Thursday.

But a report to the meeting from the council's officers, highlights 'areas that are of particular concern that may require further investigation and discussion'.

The report stresses it is the 'initial informal views of officers of the local planning authority in response to the consultation on the project' and 'does not represent the formal position of the council on the scheme'.

Areas highlighted include – but are not limited to – housing, environmental impact and health and safety.

The report states: "There are concerns over the potential adverse impacts the pipeline corridor could have on the viability and delivery of the strategic housing allocations and any committed housing schemes."

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Stage two of the proposed pipeline route, near Macclesfield (Credit: ARUP/AECOM/Peak Cluster)

Schemes that could be particularly impacted include two in Middlewich and two in Macclesfield.

In fact, the officers raise a number of concerns about the potential impact on Middlewich overall.

Their report says the two pipeline corridor route options to the south around Middlewich (the northern and southern alignment) overlap with or impact a number of constraints.

It states: "The options to the south of Middlewich have a number of significant strategic constraints including:

• adverse impact on strategic residential land allocations LPS 45 (land off Warmingham Lane, phase two, allocated for 235 homes), LPS 42 (Glebe Farm, a 17ha site allocated for 525 dwellings), and employment land allocation LPS44 (Mid-point 18);
• adverse impact on Middlewich Eastern Bypass;
• dissects Cheshire Replacement Waste Local Plan preferred site WM5;
• dissects a significant strategic cross county mains pipeline serving the brinefield and salt factory;
• within an area at risk of subsidence (as defined on the Cheshire brine compensation consultation zone);
• in close proximity to SSSI (Sandbach Flashes, site of special scientific interest) and lies within SSSI impact zone;
• crosses a number of HSE major accident pipelines and in the impact zone of a major accident hazard site.

The report states: "Based on these constraints, we consider that the pipeline corridor should follow the proposed option to the north of Middlewich which would appear to present significantly less constraints and is the most viable option to take forward."

The two proposed development sites in Macclesfield which have raised concern are LPS15, which is land at Congleton Road allocated for 300 homes, and LPS19, which is 95 hectares of safeguarded land in south-west Macclesfield.

The report states: "Given that Cheshire East currently does not have the required five years' housing land supply, there are concerns over the potential for this project to adversely impact the viability or deliverability of these allocated sites (including Middlewich) and the ability to deliver the required housing provision over the plan period."

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In other parts of the borough, the report says the pipeline corridor passes in close proximity to a number of sites of special scientific interest.

With regard to ecology, it states:" The pipeline would follow a predominately rural route through the borough, mostly through improved agricultural land.

"The project would have impacts upon numerous trees, watercourses, drains, ditches and hedgerows as well as protected species and habitats, and a number of designated and non-designated sites."

It raises concerns that the route passes in very close proximity to Calveley Primary School, 'indeed the pipeline corridor abuts the southern boundary of the school'.

And regarding health and safety, it states: "There are concerns over the potential for health risk to the local community arising from the CO₂ pipeline.

"Transporting liquefied CO₂ via pipelines is still a relatively new concept in the UK.

"This in itself has the potential to increase the perceived level of risk to human health from the local community.

"There are concerns over the health impacts and impacts to the local environment arising from potential leakage and rupture incidents."

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The recommendations to the committee include authorising officers to carry out further investigatory assessment and analysis on a number of aspects including the proposed route, negative impacts on Cheshire East and health and safety concerns.

The meeting takes place at Macclesfield Town Hall at 10.30am on Thursday, April 30.

The report from Cheshire East's officers to Thursday's meeting of the corporate policy can be seen here.