Handling more freight than any other UK Border Control Post, Sevington has become a key part of the UK’s post-Brexit border infrastructure, helping to protect public health, support trade and safeguard national biosecurity.
As the UK marks the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum this month, Ashford Port Health is reflecting on how border operations have evolved and the role Sevington Border Control Post now plays in protecting public health, facilitating trade and safeguarding UK biosecurity.
Established in 2021, Ashford Port Health has grown rapidly alongside the development of Sevington Border Control Post, which now processes approximately 22,800 import notifications each month and operates around the clock to support the movement of goods entering the UK.
Today, Sevington handles the highest volume of freight traffic of any Border Control Post in the UK, making it one of the most significant pieces of border infrastructure developed since the UK’s departure from the European Union.
The authority’s growth reflects the significant changes that have taken place across the UK’s border infrastructure since the 2016 referendum, as new import control requirements have been introduced and border systems have adapted to meet changing regulatory and operational demands.
While border controls have often featured prominently in wider debates around Brexit, Sevington has become an example of how local government has responded to a significant national challenge by developing new services, specialist expertise and innovative ways of working. In just a few years, Ashford Port Health has established one of the country’s largest and most complex border operations, helping to facilitate trade while maintaining high standards of public protection.
Since November 2024, Ashford Port Health has safely removed more than 226,000 kilograms of products deemed unfit for human consumption before they could enter the UK food chain.
The growth of Ashford Port Health has also seen the development of a specialist workforce of environmental health, veterinary and border professionals who help ensure imported goods meet UK standards and support the safe movement of trade through the border.
The authority has also invested in new technology to support increasingly complex border operations. In recent years, Ashford Port Health has introduced intelligent document processing technology to assist with the review of import documentation and help manage growing volumes of trade. Early results suggest productivity improvements of around 40 per cent.
The technology helps officers process information more efficiently, but final decisions remain firmly in the hands of qualified professionals using their experience, judgement and expertise to assess each consignment.
Anthony Baldock, Director of Port Health and Public Protection at Ashford Port Health, said:
“Ten years on from the Brexit referendum, much of the public discussion understandably focuses on politics and trade agreements. What is less visible is the day-to-day work now taking place to ensure imported products entering the UK meet the standards expected by consumers, businesses and government.
“At Sevington, our role is to help protect public health, support compliant trade and safeguard the UK’s food supply chain. The scale of that responsibility has grown considerably in recent years and our team has worked hard to build a service capable of responding to those demands.
“When people discuss Brexit, there is often an assumption that the introduction of border controls would inevitably create barriers and difficulties. What we have demonstrated at Sevington is that with the right investment, skilled people and effective processes, border operations can be both robust and efficient. We have built a service that has gone from strength to strength and shown what can be achieved when skilled teams are given the responsibility and resources to deliver. At a time when many predicted significant disruption, the reality at Sevington has been the development of a professional, efficient and highly effective operation.
“Feedback from businesses using the site has been overwhelmingly positive, with many operators highlighting the consistency of the service and the professionalism of officers. Some have even commented that they would welcome a similar approach when exporting goods into the European Union.
“The removal of more than 226,000 kilograms of products deemed unfit for human consumption since November 2024 demonstrates the important role Border Control Posts play in protecting consumers. Border controls also play a vital role in protecting animal health and supporting UK biosecurity, particularly as disease risks continue to emerge across Europe.
“The experience gained at Sevington has shown that a dynamic, intelligence-led and risk-based approach can successfully protect consumers, support biosecurity and facilitate trade at significant scale. What has been achieved here over a relatively short period of time demonstrates that effective border controls and efficient trade are not mutually exclusive. In just a few years, Ashford Port Health has built a border operation operating at national scale that has exceeded many of the expectations placed upon it.
“As Government continues discussions with the European Union on future border arrangements, we would encourage policymakers to build on the lessons learned at Sevington. The risk-based, intelligence-led approach developed here has shown that it is possible to maintain high standards of public protection while supporting the efficient movement of goods, and we believe there are valuable lessons that could help shape future arrangements.”
Ashford Port Health works alongside DEFRA, Border Force, HMRC and other agencies at Sevington Border Control Post to facilitate the safe and efficient movement of goods while ensuring compliance with UK import requirements.
As discussions continue around the future of border arrangements and the proposed UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement, the authority says the past decade has demonstrated the importance of investing in skilled people, effective processes and modern technology to support the UK’s border systems.
Ten years after the referendum, Sevington is a practical example of how the UK’s border systems have evolved, bringing together people, processes and technology to manage trade while protecting public health and biosecurity. What began as a new requirement arising from changes to trading arrangements has developed into one of the UK’s busiest border operations, supporting businesses, protecting consumers and helping safeguard the country’s biosecurity.
