Three ATS Eurostar garages close suddenly in West Sussex

ATS garages in Horsham, Worthing and Crawley are among 86 ATS centres that have shut and are listed on Google as ‘Permanently Closed.’ ATS announced the possibility of closures last month blaming increasing costs and slow growth.

However vehicle specialists Halfords say they are now stepping in to help ATS staff affected by the closures. The company says it is offering interviews to all ATS staff for possible new jobs.

Halfords – which has 639 garages nationwide including those in Horsham, Worthing and Crawley – currently services, maintains, and repairs vehicles for 1,400,000 customers annually.

The company says the UK is currently experiencing a shortage of qualified automotive technicians, with the Institute of the Motor Industry estimating 20,000 vacancies in the sector.

Halfords says it “remains committed to creating rewarding career pathways, offering opportunities for qualified technicians looking to develop new skills—such as EV servicing—as well as young people entering the industry through apprenticeships.”

As well as supporting ATS employees, Halfords says it is also stepping in to help customers affected by the garage closures, “ensuring they continue to have access to trusted and competitive automotive services.”

Halfords says it will prioritise MOT and other service bookings originally made with ATS wherever possible. Halfords divisional director Chris Rose said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with ATS to explore employment opportunities for affected colleagues, while also ensuring that motorists in these parts of West Sussex continue to have access to competitive, convenient, and trusted automotive services.”