“Royal Mail Group Limited supports this proposed Hynet Carbon Dioxide Pipeline, but is seeking to secure mitigations to protect its road based operations during the construction phase. Under section 35 of the Postal Services Act 2011 (the “Act”), Royal Mail has been designated by Ofcom as a provider of the Universal Postal Service. Royal Mail is the only such provider in the United Kingdom. The Act provides that Ofcom’s primary regulatory duty is to secure the provision of the Universal Postal Service. Ofcom discharges this duty by imposing regulatory conditions on Royal Mail, requiring it to provide the Universal Postal Service. The Act includes a set of minimum standards for Universal Service Providers, which Ofcom must secure. The conditions imposed by Ofcom reflect those standards. Royal Mail is under some of the highest specification performance obligations for quality of service in Europe. Its performance of the Universal Service Provider obligations is in the public interest and should not be affected detrimentally by any statutorily authorised project. Royal Mail’s postal sorting and delivery operations rely heavily on road communications. Royal Mail’s ability to provide efficient mail collection, sorting and delivery to the public is sensitive to changes in the capacity of the highway network. Royal Mail is a major road user nationally. Disruption to the highway network and traffic delays can have direct consequences on Royal Mail’s operations, its ability to meet the Universal Service Obligation and comply with the regulatory regime for postal services thereby presenting a significant risk to Royal Mail’s business. Royal Mail has 4 operational properties within 8 miles of the DCO application site: BE 2472 Flint DO, BE 2475 Chester MC, BE 2454 Chester DO, and BE BE2528 Ellesmere Port DO (8 miles). The draft Outline Construction Traffic Management Report which was published in October 2022 states construction traffic will use the M53, A55, A494, B roads, and other adjacent local roads. In exercising its statutory duties, Royal Mail vehicles use all of these roads on a daily basis for access to the Delivery Offices and for deliveries. Any disruption and congestion on these roads has potential to adversely affect Royal Mail operations. Royal Mail previously submitted a response to the application’s Section 42 consultation in July 2022. Building on that response, Royal Mail is registering to be an Interested Party to the Examination in order to protect its position and ensure that the future CTMP secures mitigations for Royal Mail.”