A review has been ordered into the planned closure of West Cumbria’s tax office.

Lillyhall’s tax office, which employs around 240 people, is under threat as the Government told workers in July that it would close in 2018.

But HMRC has been forced to carry out a fundamental rethink of its proposal to shut 170 offices and replace them with 13 regional centres, after public spending watchdog National Audit Office described the original plans as “unrealistic”.

A report released by the National Audit Office said HMRC underestimated the disruption involved and had been unable to find suitable properties in some of its chosen locations.

The office’s head Sir Amyas Morse said HMRC should “step back” and consider the strategy and Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS union, added it was imperative the plans were halted to give Parliament and the public a chance to have their say.

Workington MP Sue Hayman said: “I would very much support that call. I think it has been rushed through without proper consideration.”

The National Audit Office said since HMRC first presented its case for the plan in 2015, the estimate of its estate costs had risen by nearly £600 million, with more than half the increase due to higher than expected running costs for its new buildings.

It said HMRC was now reconsidering the scope and timing of the move to reduce the costs and the risks of disruption.

Options include changing the timetable for opening regional centres, reconsidering the location and size of some of the centres, and reassessing how and when to introduce flexible working practices.