Defra is looking for volunteers who import high priority plants or plant products to take part in a ‘soft launch’ of Sevington, the new Inland Border Facility.
Based in the South East, the new site is designed to enable effective inspections of plants and plant products to support trade flow while maintaining GB biosecurity.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to test the facility and provide Defra with feedback on their experience.
Defra will then consider and make changes where necessary to ensure the processes and systems at Sevington are streamlined and intuitive as possible.
Volunteers will also have the benefit of managing their transition from their Place of Destination (PoD) to Sevington at a measured pace, ahead of the official go live date on 1 July 2022.
Defra is initially inviting volunteers to register their interest in taking part in the Sevington soft launch, with registration open until 22 April.
The department will then host a webinar for applicants, providing further detail and Q&A about the process.
From 1 July 2022, import checks of EU high-priority plants and plant products will move from the PoDs to Border Control Posts (BCPs) and Control Points (CPs).
Defra has produced a map that shows all currently designated BCPs, Inspection Centres (IC) and Control Points (CPs).
