HMRC’s move to Glasgow just makes no sense
First it was Motorola then Rolls-Royce. Now East Kilbride is about to lose the name that is intrinsically linked to the town – Centre 1.News
that HMRC is cutting its ties with EK is a devastating blow for all concerned, especially the hard-working tax officers from the two sites in the town.
The knock-on effect on the local community can’t be underestimated either. We can illafford to lose possibly the town’s largest employer.
The move makes no sense. HMRC claims it will bring together other operational delivery and tax professional teams. Yet, they are already in place in East Kilbride.
The cost of relocating to the regional centre near the waterfront in Glasgow is a costly and unnecessary exercise and one I would urge HMRC to reconsider even at this late stage.
HMRC staff in East Kilbride now have a stark choice to head into Glasgow to work or start looking for employment elsewhere.
For East Kilbride itself, loss of trade from the thousands of tax office staff will have a massive impact on shops and business that are already operating in a tough economic climate.
Only last week the town suffered another blow when retail giants Toys R Us confirmed the closure of its store at the Kingsgate with the loss of around 20 jobs.
Just a year after celebrating the new town’s 70th birthday, we are in real danger of witnessing East Kilbride turning slowly into a commuter town.
This is something that must not be allowed to happen.
Urgent action is needed; East Kilbride has a lot to offer and we need to get that message across loud and clear.
Elsewhere, the issue regarding change of use at the Ravenscraig sports facility in North Lanarkshire has rightly caused concern amongst the athletics community.
The plans to reduce the indoor running track – one of only two in Scotland – to just three lanes and 50 metres of track would brandish it “not fit for purpose” according to the club coaches who know best.
The fallout has seen this issue discussed at Holyrood with Aileen Campbell, the minister for sport, instructing Sportscotland to organise a consultation on the proposal by North Lanarkshire Leisure.
I have met, on a couple of occasions, with coaches from some of the Lanarkshire athletics clubs and discussed what can be done to safeguard their training area at Ravenscraig.
They have come up with some very good ideas and, hopefully, there can be a satisfactory outcome so all the sports can continue to have access to this fantastic facility.