Ashford Borough Council launches UK-first digital transformation in Border Controls powered by AI

Ashford Borough Council has introduced a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) system at Ashford Port Health Authority (APHA), becoming the first facility in the UK to fully automate the initial stage of import document checks and allowing it to maintain its prices for the coming year.

Since the opening of the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APH) function at the Sevington Border Control Post in April 2024, Ashford Borough Council has been responsible for overseeing official border controls on the highest volume of commercial freight entering the UK.

This includes checks on products of animal origin (POAO), high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin (HRFNAO), organic goods and other regulated imports, all within a complex and highly regulated framework.

The Council undertook a full review of how import documentation was processed, identifying opportunities to strengthen performance without compromising regulatory standards. Working in partnership with Salesforce Ltd and Cospire Technologies, APHA has developed the UK’s first fully automated, AI-driven system for the initial stage of import document checking. 

This groundbreaking solution uses Intelligent Document Processing to capture and structure import documents, enabling Artificial Intelligence to carry out the initial compliance checks, accurately replicating the existing manual process in a faster, more consistent and auditable way.

The development of the new system involved an extended period of on-site collaboration at Sevington to understand and document exactly how officers carry out checks in practice. The system was then tailored specifically to match those operational requirements, ensuring it strengthens rather than replaces professional oversight. 

Anthony Baldock, Corporate Director of Health and Wellbeing said “We are delighted to be at the forefront of the introduction of carefully managed AI to help transform the way we support Border Control services in the UK.

"The investment in this pioneering technology is already delivering improved productivity across the service allowing the teams to focus on the front-line delivery of services as well as enhanced compliance and an improvement in the speed and quality of official controls.” 

As a direct result, Ashford Borough Council has confirmed it is able to hold its charges for official controls at their current level and will not apply any inflationary increases for the 2026/27 financial year.