Defra has advertised for companies which import plants to help test the operation of the new Sevington Inland Border Facility as part of its soft launch.
The site located south-east of Ashford next to the M20, is intended to enable effective inspections of plants and plant products and help maintain biosecurity when the next series of post-Brexit customs checks come into effect from 1 July 2022. From this date import checks of EU high-priority plants and plant products are due to move from the Place of Destination (PoDs) to Border Control Posts (BCPs) and Control Points (CPs).
According to reports, volunteers will have the opportunity to test the facility and provide Defra with feedback on their experience. This information will then be used by Defra make any necessary changes to ensure the processes and systems at Sevington are as streamlined and intuitive as possible.
Another benefit is that volunteers ‘will also have the benefit of managing their transition from their PoD to Sevington at a measured pace’, ahead of the official go-live date.
Defra initially asked for expressions of interest by 22 April and the department will then host a webinar for applicants.
Photo source: TUC