Chester Zoo's chief executive, James Christon, has described plans for an underground carbon pipeline crossing the zoo's land as "unacceptable", warning it would damage sensitive habitats used for regional conservation work. The Peak Cluster project aims to transport carbon dioxide emissions from cement and lime factories in the Peak District to be stored under the Irish Sea, but its proposed route runs through 470 acres of zoo land used for habitat recovery, prompting concerns that development could permanently destroy irreplaceable ecosystems.

Christon said Chester Zoo first raised concerns with Peak Cluster in March and met project bosses in May, but claims there has been no further contact since, suggesting the route will go unchanged. Peak Cluster's chief executive, David Parkin, disputed this, saying the firm has stayed in contact to carry out ecology surveys on the zoo's land and has reviewed over 5,500 pieces of consultation feedback alongside further engineering and environmental assessments, which will inform future route decisions.