Cannock driving test centre to close

The service based at Commerce House in Ridings Park is being moved to Featherstone.

Across the country, 20 test centres are closing under controversial plans by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), although Cannock is the only one in the West Midlands to shut.

The move follows the merger of the Driving Standards Agency(DSA) and the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).

Cannock East Councillor Janos Toth today slammed the move. He said: "I'm not happy with the decision to close the centre.

"There are a lot of learner drivers in the Cannock area. They will be taking their tests now in somewhere that is alien to them. People will say that is not relevant but I think it is.

"The feedback I've been getting is that people wanted it to stay open.

"There has been talk for years that the centre would close.

"We were hoping it would not happen. It's not the right decision."

No jobs are being lost as the result of the closure, DVSA bosses say.

Examiners and other staff based at the centre in Cannock will move over to the VOSA test centre in Featherstone.

DVSA spokesman Stephen Small said: "The service will be transferred to Featherstone. Tests will start there on March 20.

"The final tests will take place in Cannock on March 31 so for 10 days tests will take place across both sites.

"The move will provide a more efficient use of the centre. It will help to keep test fees to a minimum by making sure we continue to provide services cost effectively."

The relocation from Cannock to Featherstone is expected to save over £20,000 a year in rent and associated costs.

The centres are five miles apart.

Bosses say it will have no impact on waiting times and no change to the number of examiners.

Other test centres closing across the country includes Nottingham, Leighton Buzzard, Hastings, Chelmsford and Grimsby.

Nationally, the closures are expected to help the DVSA save £290,000.