politics
Civil Servants Offered Relocation Packages as No 10 North Opens in Manchester, With Permanent Site Due in 2032
The British government has opened an initial base for a new northern branch of Downing Street in Manchester. Civil servants in London are being offered packages to relocate, with plans for 300 staff within 18 months.
Jul 21, 7:54 AM·1m read1 source
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Civil servants based in central London have been offered relocation packages to move to the North of England, BBC News reported. A new branch of Downing Street known as No 10 North is already operating from Heron House in central Manchester. Heron House also houses offices for the intelligence service GCHQ.
Specialist police officers have been seen guarding the building. The longer-term base for No 10 North is planned at a new government Digital Campus under construction in the Ancoats area of Manchester, which is not due for completion until 2032. A report released on Tuesday by the Re:State think tank sets out a possible recruitment plan.
The report suggests around 300 staff should be employed at No 10 North within 18 months and proposes transferring teams from the Treasury, Cabinet Office, and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. At least three senior figures from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority are understood to have agreed to work at No 10 North.
The Re:State blueprint suggests there should be a secretary of state responsible for No 10 North, supported by a junior minister based there.
Formal details of some of the changes are expected to be revealed later in the House of Lords.
