Letter to all Traders and Agents - Defra

12 th March 2011 

To All Importers and Import Agents 

Dear Sirs 

Changes to Plant Health import procedures: 

a) Inspections at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports; and 

b) Nationally 

It is important for all importers and agents handling the import of controlled plant material 

(ie that require a phytosanitary certificate) to be aware of changes to the plant health 

controls from 1 st April 2011. These changes will affect when your goods are cleared from 

plant health controls and also the level of charges incurred. However, by improving the 

quality of data within the advanced notification (in PEACH) and with cooperation at the 

point of inspection it should be possible to mitigate the impact of these changes. 

Changes to PHSI 

As you are aware, the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) are required to inspect 

all imports of plant health controlled material, other than trades subject to agreed reduced 

checks. Owing to a lack of resource we have in the past failed to meet this target. In order 

to address this matter the PHSI have recruited 14 additional staff at Heathrow who will be 

operational from 1 st April 2011. These extra staff will enable the PHSI to undertake 

inspections from 06.00 to 00.00 seven days a week including bank holidays. However 

even with these additional inspectors we are unlikely to meet our targets unless we 

change our current working practices and work, with the cooperation of the imports trade, 

to improve the efficiency of import controls. 

a)Changes to Import Controls at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports 

One of the most significant changes that may affect you is that the current facility that 

allows goods to be ‘auto-cleared’ will be gradually de-activated 

It remains possible for goods to be cleared without an inspection, but this will be as a 

result of a risk based judgement taken by an inspector. Factors which may influence this 

decision include: 

The record of problems associated with the Commodity; 

The applicants performance in meeting pre-notification timescales; 

The applicants performance in meeting original phyto submission times; 

Room 32, 1st Floor, Vista Centre, 50 Salisbury Road Tel +44 (0)20 8538 2760 E-mail info@fera.gsi.gov.uk 

Hounslow, TW4 6JQ, UK Fax +44 (0)20 8538 2762 Fera is an Executive Agency of Defra

The applicants performance in ensuring that PEACH applications are 

entered correctly; and 

The availability of an inspector 

At Heathrow, goods arriving between 00.00 – 06.00 will not be released as a matter of 

routine, but will be held for inspection. 

A similar procedure will apply at Gatwick and Manchester and other points of entry in due 

course. 

Action required by you: 

The following actions, if taken by traders, would assist the PHSI to work more efficiently 

and so help keep costs down and enable goods to clear more rapidly: 

Provide at least 4hrs advanced notification of the landing of goods arriving at 

Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports. 

Ensure the time that goods are available for inspection is accurate. 

If an ‘out of hours’ * inspection is required ensure that this is indicated on the 

application form. For consignments requiring an ‘out of hours’ inspection, a 

higher physical inspection fee will be applied, provided that the inspection is 

carried out ‘out of hours’. With effect from 1 st May, priority for ‘out of hours’ 

inspections will be given to those requesting an ‘out of hour’s’ inspection. 

Ensure that the facilities at the inspection point are clean and up to 

standard** and that the goods are available to inspect at the inspection point 

- Inspectors will not locate the goods in the shed. 

Ensure that the required documents are submitted with the pre-notification 

Direct all plant health queries to the Plant Health Imports Helpdesk on tel: 

0844 248 0071 (this is currently a 24 hour service). 

For further information, please contact your local Plant Health and Seeds Inspector 

Further details can be found at 

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/plantHealth/documents/importsChangesInspectionApr11.ppt 

b) Changes to PEACH – applicable to all imports 

With effect from the 5 th April 2011 the way that copies of phytosanitary certificates 

(phytos) are sent to the PHSI will change. Instead of emailing or faxing the phytosanitary 

certificate, air waybill, invoice and where the importer is not as declared on the phyto – 

proof of change of ownership, you are required to scan and upload these documents as 

files and send them as part of the PEACH application. This modification to the system will 

increase the rate at which the document and identity checks are undertaken. The PEACH 

input process remains as before up until the point that you have completed the 

consignment details. At this point (and only for plant health controlled goods) you will be 

asked: 

to locate the file containing the scanned documents . 


Hounslow, TW4 6JQ, UK Fax +44 (0)20 8538 2762 Fera is an Executive 

Agency of Defra

upload the documents. 

where you do not have the required documents to upload the FERA template 

confirming this fact. 

It is important to ensure that the file size of the scanned document file does not exceed 

1Mb. Files in excess of this will not be accepted. 

Full details of this process can be viewed at 

http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/plants/plantHealth/documents/importsPeachFileUploadApr11.ppt 

Yours Sincerely 

Brian Ellam 

Principal Plant Health and Seeds Inspector 

01904 465610 

brian.ellam@fera.gsi.gov.uk 

* Out of hours. The PHSI operate 06.00 – 00.00. They do not inspect outside of these hours. 

Within these hours of operation normal charges apply 8.30 – 5.00 (Monday to Friday). A higher 

‘out of hours’ physical inspection charge applies between 06.00 – 8.30 and 5.00 – 00.00 and all day 

on Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas Day, Good Friday or any day which is a bank holiday. For full 

details of changes please see the Statutory Instrument No 2693 ‘The Plant Health (Import 

Inspection Fees)(England) Regulations 2010’. 

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/2693/contents/made 

** Approved Inspection facilities. These should basically be up to the standard required for a 

formal Border Inspection Post (BIP) and require an inspection table that can be cleaned and 

disinfected (stainless steel), good lighting, power available and somewhere to put equipment. It 

should also be within a safe area for the inspector. 


Hounslow, TW4 6JQ, UK Fax +44 (0)20 8538 2762 Fera is an Executive 

Agency of Defra

Letter to all Traders and Agents - Defra

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