Wirral learner drivers needing to take their theory test will have to travel to Liverpool to do so from August.

Driving Standards Agency has announced its test centre in Birkenhead will close and merge with the centre in Liverpool.

The agency says it is not "cost effective" to keep Wirral's test centre open.

Birkenhead test centre has the capacity to carry out more than 20,000 tests each year, but last year conducted fewer than 7,000.

DSA chief executive Rosemary Thew said: "DSA relies for income on the fees we receive from our customers so we have a duty to spend that money responsibly while maintaining a good level of service.

"As the theory test centres in Birkenhead and Liverpool both have spare capacity it is not cost effective to keep both centres running."

Theory and practical test centres are entirely separate and delivery of the practical test remains unaffected.

The Birkenhead centre will close on August 31.

Source

Why don't they merge with the Wallasey centre?

Think Birkenhead is the only place to do a theory test in Wirral. How can it be a merge ???

There is nowhere else on the Wirral to take your theory test.... makes me really angry as I had to wait weeks to be able to take my theory test.... I cant believe theyre closing it! just cant understand when it is obviously in demand. There was also talk about Wallasey test center being closed down a while ago, again I dont know why they would consider this as the waiting list to take your practical test at Wallasey is nearly 6 weeks!
I was told if I wanted to book a test in Liverpool or upton I could get one inside a fortnight....

Yeah I just passed my test in Wallasey and there was talk of it closing down then, which again is stupid as it took me weeks to get my last test date where as Upton I could have gone 1 in a week or 2.

I think it's just the theory test centre that's closing, this wont affect the practical test centre in Wallasey.

The centre in Liverpool is (I think) just at the bottom of the steps by Moorfields, so not difficult to get to, and if the Wirral one is only running at third capacity then there isn't the need for it.

I have to sit extended tests regularly due to some work I do and if you ask the DSA to look they can usually find a centre with a space for you very quickly (last time I needed one I called them at 15:30 and they booked me a test in Southport for 10:00 the next morning).

For most people I think that getting to the Liverpool one will be easier than getting to the Wirral one, for the practical tests the centres are still open.

Theory test and practical test are totally separate.

The DSA rent space from the family business at Europa House on Europa Boulevard and I can confirm that the practical test centre has nothing to do with it.

We moan when the public sector over spend and we moan when they cut their costs, they're damned if they do and they're damned if they don't.

As TheDr points out, it's no going to make it "inconvenient" to have to travel to Moorfields; it may actually make it more accessible to some.

I remember when the tests were in Woodside, now that seemed like a good place to have the centre.

but Matt, did you have any involvement in the NHS taking space at Westminster House which obviously they need to now leave? i.e can you shed any light on the infrastructure they put into the place?

Im afraid not matey, im just an IT guy come dogsbody; I actually only work for the PCT level anyway, so other than GP's moaning about cuts in surgery budgets and how much hard work they have to do, and nurses moaning about hard their job is and how lazy GP's are etc (lol), you don't get to hear a lot about the core-NHS