NCT casts net wider for new testing centre

The National Car Test Service is casting its net wider in the search for a property for a new NCT centre in the Cavan Monaghan area.

The service is advertising for suitable sites in the areas of Cootehill, Bailieborough, Clones and Carrickmacross in an attempt to cope with increased demand for testing services.

Previous attempts to identify a site in the Cootehill area have, so far, proved unsuccessful. The service first advertised for a property in the Cootehill area in March 2021, readvertising again in June 2022.

A spokesperson for the NCT Service confirmed to the Celt last week that it is ‘seeking to build a new NCT centre in the Cavan/Monaghan area and we are specifically interested in sites in the Cootehill, Bailieborough, Clones or Carrickmacross areas’.

Car owners in the north midlands face varying waiting periods for a test depending on what centre they wish to attend.

As of Thursday, December 22, the earliest available date on the system for a test at the Cavan and Longford centres was January 18, 2023. However, May 17 was the soonest appointment for those wanting to get their car tested in Monaghan. The Kells centre had appointments backed up to June 9, 2023.

A statement from the Road Safety Authority also said the decision to introduce a new centre is largely due to increased vehicle ownership.

“There is a demand in the county for a centre and we have been looking at it from a geographical point of view and our decision is purely down to vehicle population and the demand for the service and to cater for the needs of the people in the area. There is a massive positive knock-on effect from having an NCT Centre in a town, in terms of employment and brings new businesses into the town. It drives constant traffic to that particular area.”

Any potential new site has to meet the specific requirements laid out by the RSA.

Applus, the company which runs the NCT service and its 49 centres nationwide, is seeking ‘a detached building or a serviced site zoned industrial’. The requirements for the building are ‘detached stand alone existing building: 6m high, 25m long, 16m wide (minimum) dedicated parking for 30 cars on own dedicated site or in a zoned site’.

Suitable sites must be 50 metres long by 45 metres wide (minimum). The building to be constructed would be circa 4300 sq ft.

Queries and expressions of interest, including site location, maps, photos by post to Property Department, Applus Inspection Services Ireland LTd, 3026 Lakedrive, Naas Road, Dublin 24 or email to info@ncts.ie