Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

A list of garages and suppliers that have given proven good service to members. All submissions to this forum must be approved by either an Admin or a Moderator before inclusion.

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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by myglaren »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 30 Jul 2022, 12:37
myglaren wrote: 30 Jul 2022, 10:09 There is one in Sunderland. Never used it though.
Do you mean one run by the council Steve :?: haven't come across a private one yet.
Yes, that's the one.
Heard that they are very good.

Just remembered one in Shiney Row too, I think I used them but it would have been a long time back.
Looked on Google maps/street view and no sign of it.
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Gibbo2286 »

I'd rather get my test at a local garage, I hate dealing with the bureaucrats that work at the council testing stations, although I haven't had to since they let the garages do the group seven vehicles. :)
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Gibbo2286 wrote: 30 Jul 2022, 17:31 I'd rather get my test at a local garage,
Me too, and I have done for decades now and you do build up a relationship, but they packed in recently. There are a few local alternatives but I started using the Council one and it was straightforward enough, but like i said in the previous post...my fault I have cocked up with the timetable a bit so MOT was up July 22nd/ Tax was up 31 July/ and its on SORN from Monday. I should have started sorting this out from June 22nd!, maybe even a couple of weeks before that as there is usually a bit of a a time lag in booking a date for a future test slot.

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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Rp0thejester »

Do you not have an MOT while you wait test centre nearby? I used to use Royston Express, (nowhere near you) MOTs only, no need to book. Unless SORN but that's done online so your covered if the police pull you over.
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by bobins »

NewcastleFalcon wrote: 30 Jul 2022, 12:37
Now the little section on "Driving" as opposed to "taking"
Driving a vehicle that’s failed
You can take your vehicle away if:

your current MOT certificate is still valid
no ‘dangerous’ problems were listed in the MOT
Otherwise, you’ll need to get it repaired before you can drive.
So what happens to the category of Vehicle on SORN, no valid current MOT certificate, Fails the Test (any item not just a dangerous item.) Can you drive it back :?:

I guess the "Otherwise, you'll need to get it repaired before you can drive" applies, and a vehicle on SORN, taking the MOT Test after the expiry date of the last certificate, and failing probably needs trailering away from the test-centre, and not driven on public roads.

I may have to revise my strategy, especially seeing as I have let the previous certificate expire.

REgards Neil

The Gov. says: You can drive a SORNd car to/from a booked in advance MOT test.
The Gov. says: You can drive a car with an MOT failure away from an MOT station.
Driving it when it failed as 'dangerous' is a separate issue. An MOT tester / station cannot prevent you from driving a 'dangerous' car away from the MOT test station.
Reasonableness (and common sense) come into play if you need to argue it in court. The nature of the failure, the closeness of the MOT test station to your home or place where you store your car, the manner of your driving, the location you were stopped if/when caught, etc, etc.
So yes - you can drive it back from an MOT failure whilst still SORNd, but only more or less directly home. If you were caught whilst SORN'd and MOT failured whilst driving from the MOT station to a nearby garage you usually use then you have a good argument. If you were caught whilst SORN'd and MOT failured whilst driving from the MOT station to a nearby garage 100 miles away you're on dodgy ground.
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Gibbo2286 »

I had a long discussion with a traffic cop about those rules, if I bought a car in say Manchester and booked it in for an MOT here in Gloucestershire would I be committing an offence driving it down for the test, he didn't know, said it would be for the cop on the spot to decide if it were worth pursuing and then if he did it would be up to the inspector and the cps if it should go to court.
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by bobins »

I think in the hypothetical situation you give above, Gibbo, there really would have to be other aggravating factors to make a traffic officer want to take it further. The chances of a successful prosecution when you're legitimately going from point 'A' to an already booked MOT test at point 'B' are slim* - however, if the car is very obviously dangerous, the driver appears 'irritable', and they've been pulled by 'Constable Savage' (he of NtNoCN :lol: ) then their day might be spoiled.

*- Having delved into the legislation, there seems to only be a requirement for the MOT test to be already booked, there are no specific location requirements - though undoubtedly, if the traffic officer suspects you're taking the mickey, then they'll probably want to find something to interest them.
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Gibbo2286 »

I should have said Bobins that I have already done that on a number of occasions from various places 'up north' when I was trading but never been stopped so the rules never got tested. :)
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Out of sideline interest, what do Trade Plates cover you for Gibbo? Does the vehicle you are driving on trade plates have to meet the same MOT/tax/insurance requirements for being legal for driving on the road as any other, and if it doesn't you have to put it on a trailer.
Gibbo2286 wrote: 12 Nov 2020, 16:08 Ps. As Mick said you cannot use trade plates for private social domestic or pleasure use, you are also only allowed to carry one passenger who must be a potential buyer of the vehicle.

There is a saying in the trade re the police attitude to trade plates "Red on white stop on sight."
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Gibbo2286 »

It was common to be stopped on trade plates Neil, the motor traders used to say the police operated a Red on white stop on sight. policy. I'm not sure about the mot on trade plates even now after using them for fifty years, I was never challenged on that but a trader's motor insurance was needed, the plates were a substitute for the road tax but limited to trade use, you couldn't take the kids out or go to the theatre for the evening on them.

Most times the cops were looking for misuse such as lending them to a mate.
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Rp0thejester »

So effectively, you can drive a car from A to B with no MOT as long as it has 4 above limit tyres and not causing a hazard to others??
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by bobins »

.......... as long as you are going to/from a booked in advance MOT test.... and there is effective insurance covering the car....... and you're not blatently taking the mickey about it.
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by Rp0thejester »

So no South of France for the MOT.... :twisted:
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by bobins »

As I always say - an action only becomes an offence if you get caught :lol:
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Re: Independent MOT's Council Testing Stations

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

This thread has been selected by the FCF Archives February Ferret 2023 for another day in the sun on 27th February 2023.

This is now my chosen route for MOT's. There are 3 centres in Northumberland, my usual one is Stakeford, but I used Alnwick for the BB Clio in the fleet in February because Stakeford was booked up. Yes February is a silly time of the year to engage in the MOT palaver. I have engineered the BB Micra and Leaf now to have summer MOT's, early August and September.

As mentioned previously in the thread its a bit of a faf, its by appointment, and the vast majority of their work is testing Taxis and the council's own fleet so as I have found out best to book appointments well in advance. The test is £40, and a free re-test and some it has worked out OK, also a bit more of a faffy tale with the Micra last August when I left it late, but it worked out fine.

Not everyone can of course be bothered with the time taken or inconvenience but I am quite happy to put up with that for an independent test. I can quite easily occupy myself wandering about Stakeford taking pics of Railway Paraphernalia, or indeed the very scenic walk along the pastures in Alnwick.

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