Councillor slams decision to close Lisburn HMRC office

File photo dated 18/03/13 of a general view of pound coins on HM Revenue & Customs forms as billions of pounds of taxpayers' money is being lost because of the failure of HM Revenue and Customs to clamp down effectively on fraud and error, MPs warned today. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday May 21, 2013. The Commons Public Accounts Committee said HMRC was set to achieve less than half the projected savings from reducing fraud and error in the payment of tax credits. The 2010 spending review set HMRC a target of saving £8 billion by 2015, but the committee said that it now estimated it would miss its goal by £5 billion. See PA story POLITICS Fraud. Photo credit should read: Rui Vieira/PA Wire

It has been revealed that the Lisburn office on the Hillsborough Road is one of six regional offices which will close between 2016 and 2021.

HMRC said it is phasing the closures to “allow staff time to make choices for their future” and reduce redundancies.

Criticising HMRC for their decision to close the regional offices in Lisburn, Newry, Coleraine, Craigavon, Enniskillen and Londonderry, Councillor Redpath said: “I am appalled by HMRC’s decision to close their Lisburn office and move all staff to a centralised location in Belfast. This will further centralise the civil service in Belfast leading to more congestion, more pressure on parking and more hours wasted commuting.

“It will also have the effect of removing footfall from Lisburn thus disadvantaging local businesses. This decision flies in the face of so called government strategies to de-centralise the civil service.”