New Wolverhampton driving test centre planned to tackle huge demand
A new driving test centre could open in Wolverhampton in a bid to tackle the ‘significant challenge’ of booking a test.
Empty offices at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park would be converted into a new driving test centre under plans submitted by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).
The planning application said the “increased demand and existing delays” could not be met through existing provision in Wolverhampton and there was an “urgent need” for a new centre to serve the area given the “significant challenges” faced by the DVSA.
The latest figures from the National Audit Office (NAO) released at the end of last year said the average wait for a driving test in September was 22 weeks but has hit six months at nearly three quarters of test centres across the country.
The DVSA had planned to cut waiting times to seven weeks by the end of 2025.
The application said the centre would accommodate between 50 and 100 tests per day with 7am to 6pm opening hours planned.
To offer the maximum number of tests possible, 14 examiners would need to complete between seven and eight tests each.
The offices at the science park off Coxwell Avenue have been empty since 2024.
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The planning application said: “The DVSA are currently facing significant challenges related to booking driving tests and, at present, the demand to book tests disproportionately outweighs the quantum of tests available locally.
“The DVSA is therefore actively and urgently working to invest in new test centres to address the growing demand for driving tests, with a particular focus on areas where there is particularly high demand or where current test centres are oversubscribed.”
The application goes on to say that conducting driving tests from the centre in Coxwell Avenue would bring “several significant advantages.”
“One of the key benefits is the introduction of new, meaningful test challenges along the updated route,” the planning statement included with the application continued.
“These improvements will ensure that candidates are assessed under more realistic and varied conditions, better preparing them for real world driving scenarios and raising the standard of road safety.
“In addition to diversifying the test routes, [the site] contains a larger office space capable of accommodating an increased headcount.
“This expansion will allow for more staff to manage operations efficiently, which in turn can help reduce waiting times for applicants, particularly those in high-demand areas such as Wolverhampton.
“By combining enhanced testing standards with improved administrative capacity, the move to [the site] represents a strategic step toward delivering faster, more effective services and a better experience for both candidates and staff.”
