A PUBLIC meeting will be held this month in Porthmadog to discuss ways of saving jobs at the town’s tax office, which has been earmarked for closure.

Last year HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) announced it is to close all tax offices in Wales outside Cardiff, which includes its only Welsh language call centre, Ty Moelwyn, which would result in a loss of over 20 jobs.

Porthmadog Town Council has announced the public meeting will be held on Saturday, 20 February at 11am at the Ganolfan to discuss the future of Ty Moelwyn.

At a previous Porthmadog Town Council meeting, Cllr Selwyn Griffiths, chair of Porthmadog Town Council, said he was extremely disappointed when he heard the news surrounding HMRC’s plans to close Ty Moelwyn.

He said: “I am extremely disappointed with the news that Ty Moelwyn is to close; this means a loss of jobs, jobs that are extremely important in the community.

“We have been through this before in the past when it has been threatened with closure and it’s very disappointing to see it happen again.

“Why does everything need to be moved down south?

“This decision leaves us to question whether the provision that they offer is going to be of the same standard in the future as a result of any changes.

“I know businesses in London who are run by Welsh speakers that deal with the office here because of their professional work – the language issue does really worry me if it moves to the south.”

Cllr Alwyn Griffiths said the news had left him disheartened and that the area is just becoming a ‘playground for tourists’.

He said: “I’m not really that surprised by this decision the government don’t seem to want to create jobs here and they don’t want to keep the jobs that are already here.

“Porthmadog is just becoming a playground for tourists now, the government doesn’t care about the north, and they don’t seem to respect Wales as a unit.

“The whole thing is outrageous.”

Cllr Simon Brooks urged his councillors to unite in protest and campaign to have the decision overturned.

“This news has made me feel extremely angry and my sympathy goes out to the hard working staff at Ty Moelwyn.”