Last updated 19:45, Thursday, 19 June 2008

A WEST Cumbrian regeneration boss has welcomed the possibility of 400 new jobs at Lillyhall.

Dog Holden, chief executive of the West Cumbria Development Agency, said that it ws good news that Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) plans to open a call centre at West Cumbria House.

He has been working with Workington MP Tony Cunningham to secure the centre.

Dog Holden said: “We have been working hard to get people here. The main reasons why we have been given a chance of these jobs is that we have buildings ready.

“Without these buildings we would not have been considered a suitable area for HMRC.”

The proposal was the culmination of about 18 months of work and began after it was announced that the Government department would be moving its office at Blencathra House in Whitehaven. At the time, it announced that a review of services was taking place, which could see the services moving to city centres.

Mr Holden said that the previous success of the British Cattle Movement Service, which moved to Workington’s Derwent Howe and now employs 900 people, was another major factor in the HMRC considering the town.

“There is no doubt that because of the low turnover of staff at the BCMS, we were considered a good area for HMRC to possibly set up here.

“The staff are a very important issue and it is a credit to the people of Workington that they have played a major part in possibly getting such a big government department here.”Many of the workers would be answering phones in a call centre type situation but there will also be some management positions available.

It is expected that the department could be recruiting within months.

Mr Holden said that some major companies that employ thousands of people will always move to the city centres.He said “We cannot stop businesses that employ thousands of people moving to major cities.“However, if West Cumbria can attract businesses that will employ hundreds of people, those are the types of businesses we are looking for.”

Mr Cunningham said he felt that if the project was a success, it could have huge advantages for West Cumbria.

A spokesman for PCS Union, which represents civil servants, said: “It is good news for those people in West Cumbria that these types of jobs could be on offer.”

No-one from HMRC was available for comment.