A CAMPAIGN has officially been launched to fight the closure of the tax office in Porthmadog.

HM Revenue & Customs announced this month it is to close all tax offices in Wales outside Cardiff.

The closure of Ty Moelwyn, the only Welsh language call centre in Wales, will result in the loss of over 20 jobs.

Porthmadog Town Council held an extraordinary meeting this week to voice their strong opposition to the closure of the office.

A petition has also been launched by MP Liz Saville Roberts to fight the closure.

Council chairman Selwyn Griffiths 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.”

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.

“There needs to be a strong campaign in place to oppose this closure and Porthmadog Town Council needs to write strong worded letters to the members of government such as the Secretary of State for Wales Stephen Crabb and The First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones.

“We need to demand a meeting with these politicians and put them under pressure to show that the town council and the community as a whole strongly opposes the closure of Ty Moelwyn.”

Cllr Griffiths: “We need to strongly oppose this decision by the government as if we don’t we will end up losing more.”

Local MP, who launched a petition last week to fight the closure, said: “The government has been dismantling tax services in Wales for 15 years.

“These proposals are the final nail in the coffin of a tax service which has served the people of Wales well.

“The HMRC office in Porthmadog is again earmarked for closure. It is home to the Welsh language call centre and well placed to attract fluent Welsh speaking staff, serving the part of Wales where demand for Welsh language services is highest.”