HMRC Office Move: Cardiff Has Brighter People Than Wrexham

One Wrexham.com reader has forwarded us a response to their query to the Wales Office regarding the HMRC office closure and likely move to Cardiff.

Around 350 jobs will be lost by 2021 as the Wrexham HMRC office goes through a phased closure, as first reported last month.

A Wrexham.com reader objected to the move in an email to the Wales Office, along with a query to why it could not be retained locally rather than move to Cardiff.

The reply explains the ‘the UK Government’s position’ on the move saying: “HMRC considered a number of factors when deciding on the location of its new regional centre and Cardiff was chosen as the preferred option for a number of reasons. As a region, it has high numbers of University graduates and a large and diverse population.

“In addition, HMRC currently employs over 2,300 full-time employees in Cardiff, compared to around 320 working in Wrexham. Whilst Cardiff has been chosen as the base for the HMRC regional centre in Wales, the Secretary of State for Wales is ambitious for North Wales and recognises the need for investment.

“The UK Government’s £212 million investment in Wrexham’s new ‘super prison’ will create around 1,000 jobs and a £23 million boost to the local and national economy. North Wales’s large export base and reputation for big energy projects means that it is perfectly positioned to play an integral role in the Northern Powerhouse. The Secretary of State for Wales is ensuring that North Wales plays a full part in this once in a generation opportunity to rebalance our economy.”

The forwarded reply came with a note from the Wrexham.com reader observing: “I don’t think they realise that in regional terms we have within 45 mins of the town centre a massive graduate population which dwarfs Cardiff i.e. Manchester Met’s Cheshire campus based in Crewe, Liverpool John Moores and Liverpool University add to that, Manchester and Salford University plus our very own Glyndwr University.”

“Do they really believe that people are brighter in Cardiff than North Wales?”

Comparisons of the rents, rates and other associated costs compared to the Wrexham area were also highlighted, with North Wales again appearing a more appetising site than Cardiff.