Border posts completed at ‘critical’ gateway to overseas markets

Staff and facilities are in place ready for the opening of new Border Control Posts on the Humber operated by Associated British Ports (ABP).

The Border Control Posts (BCPs) in Immingham and Hull, serving both banks of the Humber, have been built to specifications set out by Government border agencies and are equipped to handle a range of products.

The team operating the BCPs, headed by project lead Kerry Costello, has been preparing for the end of the month opening when new Government requirements come into force for the biosecurity of trade with Europe.

The Border Control Posts at Immingham and Hull ports have been approved in line with Great Britain legislation for carrying out checks on animals, animal products (meat, seafood, dairy), plants and plant products arriving through the ports.

Border Force staff will also have a presence at both sites for custom checks and procedures.

There are 17 bays in Immingham and seven in Hull and allow checks to be carried out in a safe and controlled environment.

Consignments will be checked by the relevant port health or Government bodies to make sure they meet approved standards.

Simon Bird, regional director of the Humber ports, said: “We have worked very hard and committed millions of pounds of investment to deliver these two new state of the art border check posts.

“The Humber is a critical gateway to European and global markets – the UK’s largest by volume – and we’ve put the right resources in to manage them and provide customers with the options they need.”

“Kerry and her team haven’t been daunted by the high-profile nature of the BCPs and the difficulties of delivering high quality port operations in a complex Government-led context. They’ve rolled their sleeves up and taken the challenge on.”

Costello added: “My predecessor did a great job to get them to where we were at the start of the year and my team have picked up and completed the tasks in hand.

“We’ve built up good relationships with the other regulatory bodies and ensured that communication has been clear.

“We’ve run some live tests with Cabinet Office, Port Health Authority, and shipping lines which have all gone well so as to ensure systems and infrastructure all communicate behind the scenes.”