The Humble Petition of the residents of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire and the surrounding areas,
Sheweth,
That the petitioners believe that the closure of the Wellingborough Driving Test Centre should be refused on the grounds of the loss of local access to driving tests, the increase in congestion and emissions in and around Northampton and Kettering, increased lead times for test dates and the increased costs to learner drivers and parents.
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House urges the Secretary of State for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency to take into account the concerns of the petitioners and refuse to grant the closure of the Wellingborough Driving Test Centre.
And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc.—[Presented by Mr Peter Bone , Official Report, 12 March 2019; Vol. 656, c. 313 .]
[P002436]
Observations from the Minister of State, Department for Transport (Jesse Norman):
The Government wants to keep people safe on Britain’s roads by helping everyone through a lifetime of safe driving.
The test centre in Wellingborough is located within the sports centre in Glamis Hall, which over time has changed and expanded its service to the community. The area the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) uses within the sports centre is no longer suitable for either its customers or its staff. Glamis Hall had also proposed a substantial rent increase.
On 13 March, representatives from the DVSA met local approved driving instructors to discuss the closure of Wellingborough test centre. During the meeting the DVSA was told Glamis Hall was willing to offer the DVSA another facility at low cost. The DVSA has since contacted Glamis Hall and is in discussions about the possibility of negotiating new lease terms. Once these discussions are concluded the DVSA will make a decision on testing provision in Wellingborough.