This is an old story. As of September 2014, tests are conducted at Colwick, Beeston (near the train station), Clifton (on the Trent University campus), and Watnall (the old LGV testing station).
Chalfont Drive stopped doing tests in 2013. Clarendon Street (the Trent University campus in the city centre) ceased conducting tests in late August 2014 a few weeks prior to Watnall commencing operations.
UPDATE: From 1st March 2013 tests will be conducted from two temporary addresses – NOT FROM CHALFONT DRIVE.
UPDATE: From 27 June 2013 tests will be conducted from the new Beeston Test Centre. This is the new and permanent location.
The story below is from the archives.
I can’t say I’m surprised. It was reported in November last year that Chalfont Drive Test Centre was closing and moving to Beeston from the start of February 2013. A move had been on the cards for several years.
I reported earlier this month how the manager at Chalfont Drive had had to request that ADIs keep away from the proposed new site, as these idiots had been gridlocking the place in their desire to conduct lessons less than half a mile from whichever test centre their pupils will be taking their tests at. This was apparently jeopardising the deal, for which planning permission was not yet granted.
This email alert from the DSA notes that the move is now postponed. The test centre has been given leave to remain at Chalfont Drive “throughout February”.
The second section of the email is interesting. It says:
Longer term plan
Our longer term plan is still to open a new centre in the Nottingham area. We’ll let you know as soon as we’re able to confirm the operational date and details of the new test centre.
Reading between the lines, the new test centre ISN’T going to be in Beeston. I wonder if those prats who kept going down there are pleased with themselves. Even if it wasn’t they who contributed to the proposed deal in Beeston falling through, their lessons down there were an absolute waste of their pupils’ time (based on their own reasons for going there in the first place).
If the DSA has any sense at all, they won’t announce where the test centre is going to be this time around. Just move it, then tell people where it is and let them whine about it afterwards.
When (and where) will the new centre open?
We don’t know. This time, the DSA probably won’t tell anyone until the deal is done. And who can blame them?
EDIT: See the two updates at the top of this archived story.