Where I am, I use the local council testing centre. They don't do repairs and so don't have a vested interest in diagnosing something for the sake of onward business. Not sure if BMBC have one or what it's like but I found my local one on the money saving expert site and have got passed with no advisories for the last two years. They do get busy though. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-mot
I use Lilac Garage at Brierley for my servicing and MOT. I think the actual MOT is done at Brookfield Garage, Grimethorpe. Chris at Lilac Garage does any work before its tested. Never had a failure in 19 years.
Brookefield Garage in Grimethorpe is fantastic. Never had a problem with my or my husband's car (we drive through especially to have it done there whilst visiting my family). They've even been known to fix small issues for free for me when I've nipped in about the odd thing. It's usually booked up though so you'll need to book a bit in advance.
I tried the local council testing centre 3 years ago and got the most bizarre fail ever - battery insecure. It wasn't insecure, but he didn't like the positioning of it. He said the cables were on the stretch too much. I guess there wasn't a reason code for that. I had to buy a new battery with the terminals the opposite way around. Previous mind boggling failures at other garages have been "Headlamps excessively deteriorated so that the light output is severely reduced" (the garage had a buffing machine they obviously wanted to make full use of) and "Offside Rear Seat belt damaged sufficiently to significantly weaken the webbing" (on the side where no-one ever sits).
Actually Halfords in Stairfoot is good, you wouldn't think so with it being a big chain but I've had three MOTs passed and they haven't tried to sell me anything, if it was Kwik Fit the brake pads would have gone the battery would need replacing, you need new tyres etc, they're the worst.
ServicePlus just off Racecommon Road (access via Pitt Street and York St - behind the old baths) - top bloke, always been fair when I used them. I've moved away from the area now.
I've found out today that GT Tyres at Thurnscoe pretended to change my brake shoes two years ago. The mechanic sorting out my handbrake MOT failure told me there's no way they were only two years old.
I'm well pissed off with this annual pallaver. It only proves a car is roadworthy on the day it is tested and is a licence for certain garages to print money. I've spent the best part of 2 days sitting around in four different garages getting a decent car to dot its 'i's and cross its 't's.