Customs' Greenford channel
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THE ICD at Greenford in West London is operated by Butlers Warehousing and Distribution. It originally occupied 9,290sqm (100,000sqft) of Butler's vast site at Greenford, but it has been cut back to 4,645sqm (50,000sqft).
In an average day it has about six trailers/containers coming in for clearance. There are nine Customs officers based at Greenford and they handle about 10-12,000 entries a year. This makes it smaller than the average ICD, but it is by no means the smallest. Under the Rayner review recommendations (if implemented) it would appear to be rather under-utilised for cost-efficient Customs attendance.
Butlers says the ICD also acts as a marketing tool for the rest of the Greenford warehousing. It generates its own revenue by the handling charges made in the ICD and from any subsequent warehousing. Once the imported goods have been cleared, the first seven days of storage are free. Thereafter charges are imposed. After 21 days these charges escalate. This underlines the fact that an ICD is a type of transit shed rather than a warehouse. About 10 per cent of Greenford's ICD traffic is "cleared on wheels" — the Customs officers clear the load and cut the seal on the vehicle to allow it to complete its journey. Otherwise, goods are offloaded at Greenford and held for collection.
Butlers says that customers who opt for inland clearance do so because of the local control it gives them. Stressing the need for dialogue with Customs during clearance, they say local forwarders find it useful to be able to come to Greenford to sort out any difficulties. Butlers did not claim that Greenford ICD offered faster clearance than the ports.
The company had considered establishing another ICD at its Runcorn depot, but said that approval would not be given because of the minimum traffic requirements — there are already two ICDs in Liverpool and another two in Manchester.