Grant Shapps rejects plea to keep Whitchurch driving test centre

The transport secretary says there is not enough demand to justify keeping Whitchurch driving test centre open

The transport secretary has rejected calls to keep a driving test centre open.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) announced plans to close the Whitchurch test centre, in Shropshire, from 11 April.

Shropshire councillors had voted to appeal to secretary of state Grant Shapps to reverse the decision.

But in his reply to the authority, he said demand for testing can be absorbed at existing nearby centres.

The DVSA previously said it understood the closure may cause "an inconvenience" but had worked to ensure that there was no change in the number of tests provided to candidates.

The next nearest test site, it said, was 14 miles (23km) away in Crewe.

Shropshire Council hopes a different building in Whitchurch can house a test centre, after the current venue is shut

In a letter to Shropshire Council's leader Lezley Picton, Mr Shapps said the DVSA had received an offer of accommodation at Whitchurch Civic Centre and was in the process of arranging a visit to assess its suitability.

However, he added "any offer does not commit the DVSA to accepting it, nor would acceptance of any offer of free accommodation at one location guarantee acceptance in another".

Ms Picton said: "After our appeal to the DVSA to keep the test centre open was rejected, we hoped the secretary of state would be more receptive. Sadly that isn't the case.

"We also dispute that there is capacity in the system to take on the Whitchurch tests, as can be seen by the large number of residents contacting councillors to say they cannot book a driving test."

She said the authority would continue to do all it could to ensure a test centre remained in the town and hoped the DVSA would find the civic centre suitable.