Treasury approves 900,000 sq ft Manchester Digital Campus
Set to be home to almost 9,000 civil servants once complete in 2032, the two-building scheme will be constructed on part of the former Central Retail Park off Great Ancoats Street.
The 900,000 sq ft Manchester Digital Campus, which secured planning approval last year, has seen its outline business case signed off by Treasury. The OBC claims the project would generate more than £4 in benefits for every £1 invested in the project.
The decision means enabling work can begin in 2026/27 with the main construction phase to commence the following year.
The Government Property Agency exchanged contracts to acquire the 5.5-acre plot from the city council in May 2024. The deal is expected to complete this month.
Cabinet office minister Anna Turley said: “We are turning disused land into a digital centre for government, boosting local growth and supporting regeneration of Manchester’s vibrant city centre.
“I am a firm believer that the best ideas often come from those on the frontline. Our plans will move decision-making out of Whitehall and into cities like Manchester, to ensure national policy is informed by local expertise.
She added: “This will deliver real, tangible benefits for communities across the North, as well as saving the taxpayer billions of pounds.”
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, added: “This is a significant announcement for our city. The Manchester Digital Campus will be a landmark programme that cements Manchester’s growing global reputation in digital and cyber industries, creating major opportunities for residents and a huge boost to our city.
“Transforming a derelict site will see thousands of government jobs concentrating in Manchester, as well as supporting 4,900 construction jobs and an unprecedented £2.3bn in social value investment that will directly improve the lives of Mancunians and the communities they call home.
“This is also a clear commitment by this government to invest in Manchester and a statement that northern investment is good for our city and our region, and it’s also good for the economic growth of the UK.”
AtkinsRealis and Deloitte lead the professional team for Manchester Digital Campus. WSP advising the GPA post-planning.
Not bland or beige enough for my liking.
By Anonymous
Capital of the North. That deal alone is going to send Manchester’s 10 year office take up average rocketing
By Bob
Would be good to show one of the CGIs that includes the new linear park in the foreground!
By Anonymous
Looks like a treasury building as well.
By Nigel
Worst planning decision I’ve seen for years, surely they could have created this at Mayfield?
By Anonymous
lovely way to block and ruin the view over to Ancoats with these horrific blocks
By Anonymous
Shame they haven’t made its footprint smaller and taller in order to provide for open/public space and room for trees
By GetItBuilt!
Six years before completion; why so long?
By Anonymous
More Tin Panel Sheds Please?
By John Lynn
More jobs for whitehalla designated and colonised metropolitan outpost. Better decision making? Look at English heritage, dcms, the BBC – none are any better than they were. Arguably much worse.
A nothern move in name only, which contains the jobs to the chosen few.
By John
Such much space yet crushed up together; tiny island. Look at your computer all day; not worth looking out the window. Bosses get offices with a view.
By Anonymous
More arbitrary decision making. They Government never stops wasting money on Manchester offices which wouldn’t exist without subsidy.
By Anonymous
? I am all for this idea – but not this design. It’s dreadful and boring. Really. ?
By Ohhhh
great news! looking forward to seeing the space develop
By ella
This is great news for Manchester it’s just a shame that the new buildings are a really poor design.
By Anonymous
Great use of the site
By Anonymous
Sorry, but those buildings do resemble filing cabinets.
By WayFay
Will the Northern envoy be based there? Or will he or she have a wing of Dunham Massey?
By Elephant
Great to see the investment but is this not a missed opportunity for a transformative substantial green space in a key city centre location serving the city centre and surrounding residential area? We have aspirations to be a great European city but lack the quality spaces they offer. Predictably we revert to our provincial mentality believing we cannot afford not to build. Agree with others below another site would have been more suitable and created regeneration and transformation to an area that needs it. If not Mayfield, Isn’t the UMIST site still available?
By Anon
It’s hard to find good staff in the north though, this could be a waste of money.
By Anonymous
The architectural approach proposed for this development is markedly underwhelming. It presents as generic, placeless, and entirely lacking in contextual sensitivity. This part of Manchester possesses a distinctive industrial heritage, shaped by the mill complexes that defined its urban fabric for more than a century. Buildings along Redhill Street should demonstrate how contemporary interventions can successfully acknowledge and celebrate this heritage. Yet the current proposal neglects these precedents, opting instead for a bland, non‑contextualised design that could be transposed into any city without conveying even the slightest connection to its surroundings.
But what I don’t understand is that the London Government offices are empty due to “hybrid” working so why build more offices to lie empty?
By Steve5839
@ March 20, 2026 at 12:35 pm
By Anonymous
You could train them up?
By Anonymous
A lot of commentary on the architectural merit (or possibly lack of it depending on your perspective). No comment on what the “Digital Campus” brings to the ongoing transformation of the city region’s economy and the role that “cyber” will play in making Manchester the cyber capital of Europe.
By Anonymous
More hideous building in Manchester. No character any more
By Anonymous
Outline Business Case isn’t a Full Business Case. This probably only approves the enabling works
By Anonymous
Didn’t Liverpool bid for these jobs are are they too busy converting all their office space to flats. What does Steve do all day?
By Anon
About time, been talks of them doing this since George Osborne, just get on with it
By Anonymous
I was wondering why the offices are always so short. Why do these short buildings take so long to complete in 2032?
By Martina
Move all the civil servants north..and the government. London needs emptying out. It’s the only way power will shift.
By Anonymous