Council backs bid to save driving test centre

The authority has agreed to lobby Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to reverse the decision by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to shut the centre on April 10.

A motion put forward by Whitchurch councillor Tom Biggins received unanimous support from the full council.

However Councillor Biggins also revealed that the DVSA has been offered a room and several parking spaces at Whitchurch Civic Centre, in order for the town to retain a test facility.

Another location to relocate the test centre to has also been put forward by a third party, but the DVSA is yet to make a decision.

If it presses ahead with the closure, Whitchurch learners face travelling to Shrewsbury, Crewe or Wrexham to take their test.

Presenting the motion, Councillor Biggins said: “Over the last 20 years or so Whithurch has been threatened twice with closure but it has survived.

“Sadly it is now under threat again, and there is a vigorous campaign to overturn the DVSA decision.

“It is being led by local driving instructors and their pupils and it’s being supported by town and parish councillors, Shropshire councillors and the local MP.

“The loss of the centre undoubtedly would remove a vital service for the residents of most of north Shropshire, but it also affects people living in south Cheshire and also over the border in north-east wales. It is an exceptionally large geographic rural area.

“The DVSA’s decision seems to be totally arbitrary. There was no consultation whatsoever with local driving instructors, their pupils, stakeholders, local communities, or indeed anybody at all.

“And let’s be clear – Whitchurch driving test centre is not being closed because it doesn’t meet the highways requirements for driving tests. In fact it meets all the criteria.

“We’ve been informed why they want to close it. The lease is due to expire on the current premises in Dodington.

“But most importantly, and I think quite uniquely, local people have put forward two alternative locations in the town at low cost or no cost to the DVSA for them to continue with a test centre in the town, and we await the outcome of that.”

Councillor Biggins said he did not accept the DVSA’s claims that the centre represents poor value for money, after a recent freedom of information request revealed it only costs around £16,500 a year to operate.

He said this was more than covered by the 1,000 to 1,500 tests run at the centre each year which, at a cost of £62 each, generate a total income of between £62,000 and £93,000.

Councillor Biggins said forcing local learners to travel to unfamiliar areas to take their test would put them at an unfair disadvantage, and lengthen already long wait times by several months.

Seconding the motion, Ellesmere councillor Geoff Elner said: “This is a backwards step, it is completely against ‘levelling up’.

“People in north Shropshire are just being penalised for living in the country and it’s wrong.

“In short, you need to be able to drive. It’s not a luxury, it’s a necessity to get a job, to go to college and so on.

“We need to keep this centre open and I cannot see an economic reason why. The reasons they’re giving just do not make sense.”

The motion was unanimously backed by councillors.

A petition against the closure, started by local driving instructor Bill Hancock, has been signed by more than 3,000 people, and North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan has also vowed to fight the decision with the Department for Transport.