North to benefit from civil service shake-up
The government intends to redistribute 12,000 civil service roles from London to 13 locations around the UK, in an effort to tackle regional inequality and save £94m per year.
The selected cities are Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, York, Newcastle, Tyneside, Sheffield, Cardiff, Glasgow, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast, and Aberdeen.
This figure equates to 13% of jobs currently held in the capital, although the government has set a target of 50% of senior civil servants to be based outside of the city by 2030.
As well as redistributing decision-making around the country, it will also bring high-level jobs to other regions.
This adds to the former Conservative party’s efforts, which saw around 18,000 roles moved outside of London under the Levelling Up agenda.
Under the former government, a Treasury campus was established in Darlington, and work is now underway on the Darlington Economic Campus, being delivered by Kier for the Government Property Agency. Due to complete in 2027, it will house more than 1,000 officials from six departments in roles relocated from London.
In Newcastle, the 463,000 sq ft HMRC base has been the cornerstone of the Pilgrim’s Quarter regeneration, and will house 9,000 civil servants once complete. The building, constructed by Bowmer & Kirkland, topped out last October.
GPA has also selected York as the location for a six-storey office which will be part of McLaren’s York Central regeneration project. Due to complete in 2027/28, the hub received planning consent last July and will house around 2,600 civil servants.
Meanwhile, Manchester was chosen as the location for one of three regional campuses, this one focusing on digital and AI. The GPA project reflects a £310m redevelopment of part of the 10.5-acre former Central Retail Park in Ancoats into a hub for 7,000 civil servants.
A second regional campus will be built in Aberdeen, and will be focused on energy. The third location and focus is yet to be announced.
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Nothing for Liverpool, this could of been a great way to kickstart the lack of new office accomodation in the City. Rotherham asleep at the wheel and focusing on a mersey tidal barge instead
By Anonymous
Moving it out to all the other big UK cities on that list is a good move. Surprised Nottingham didn’t get one as well though. Lots going on there atm and great transport
By Bob
“North” when Liverpool isn’t even mentioned for one of the peripheral beneficiaries. Let alone the prospect of having government basically operating from Manchester.
When this is exactly the same plan that Osborne wanted, it’s clear that what Whitehall wants, Whitehall gets.
I look forward to Liverpool being the first major city taken over by Reform. I’ve become convinced only a systematic reshaping of government is the answer.
By John
Excellent news for Manchester especially as they are actual relocations not just consolidation of all of the existing offices around the city.
By Anonymous
Liverpool a notable absence, due in no part from the City Council and Mayor Rotherham in getting attractive Grade A office space put of the ground. Virtually very other core city on the list, what a shame.
By Anonymous
For Liverpool to attract companies and/or government departments it would have to actually start proposing and building offices. Seeing as the city has no vision and no plan to build offices, it doesn’t get anything. Simple as that. CRP has been proposed for development for at least 10 years.
John – if you think voting Reform is the answer I’m afraid that would be a very hard and very drawn-out lesson for Liverpool
By Anonymous
Makes one wonder how much waste there is in London when they are talking about savings of £94million
By Anonymously
More great news for Manchester !
It’s the place to be.
Sounds like tech jobs as well.
By Peter Chapman
Liverpool already had 5,000 civil servants relocating to the new HMRC regional hub in 2022 as well as a Home Office hub where the passports service is based.
By Watcherzero
John, you want to systematically reshape central government because Liverpool didn’t get some civil service jobs? Perhaps you should be asking why other cities are being favoured at the expense of Liverpool, could it be that the local authorities in Merseyside do not have a track record of delivering major projects so are not trusted by central government? Maybe a systematic change of Merseyside governance and can do attitude is needed first and I don’t mean the Reform party who would be a disaster.
By Anonymous
Managed decline of Liverpool continues at a pace. Rotheram still chasing rainbows with his tidal barrage while Manchester just keeps building grade A offices and filling them with blue chip clients.
By Roy
In relation to Loverpool, watch this space on both new office space and government jobs. Don’t worry.
By Anonymous
@john – Liverpool is one of the most left-leaning cities in the UK. Being taken over by reform is laughable.
By Realist
Utterly bizarre that none of this seems to be going to Liverpool given the need for decent jobs not connected to tourism and that so many civil service jobs have been lost over recent years, particularly from Bootle where 1000s once worked at a previous “Whitehall of the North” around Stanley Road and at the Giro.
We seem to be no clearer to knowing quite what the point is of Mayor Steve, beyond giving cover to Burnham whenever he is demanding better transport links to Manchester like today.
By Anonymous
Why the same old cities and places?
Regenerate somewhere else! Manchester is fine on its own. Why not Preston or Lancaster or Rochdale etc etc
By Katie
Northing for cheshire yet again no jobs no transport infrastructure no nothing! while our town centres are dying at such a pace! cheshire is been treated like a third world country!
By Northwich
Liverpool already has a brand new 5000+ Government building right in the heart of the city
By Anonymous
If this got proposed in Cheshire the local NIMBYs would oppose and reject it. Manchester is the only place you can build stuff like this without it being riddled with NIMBY opposition – hence why it’s Manchester that gets all the investment.
By Anonymous
Although this again,seems very MancCentric, economies work when there is an agglomeration of businesses. Manchester now has that, and therefore will continue to attract this type of investment. Putting London institutions, in small towns, is tokenism at its most patronising. People at this level want facilities, a proper airport nearby, access to decent cultural pursuits, and likeminded people, they can share ideas with.You are not going to get someone who is used to Islington and Hampstead, to move to Barnsley, you might however,get them to move to Heaton Moor and Sale. People need to be realistic about these issues.
By Elephant
Great news for Manchester (as usual). What surprises me though is that the city had to identify and build a ‘hub’ from scratch when it has already built so many business districts. There are already other civil servants moving to First St and to New Bailey. Can’t help thinking too that this could all have been built at Mayfield next to Piccadilly station as was mooted many years ago if only the developers had gotten their fingers out. Such is life.
By Peter lieu
@ Elephant is spot on. Lots of people moan about these decisions without having even a basic understanding of how investment works
By Bob