Land purchased for flagship levelling up site in Darlington
The Government’s levelling up programme is moving further ahead today, with land for the permanent site of the new Darlington Economic Campus being purchased.
The Darlington Economic Campus (DEC) was established in August 2021 and Departments moved into Feethams House in June 2022. It currently houses 600 government staff.
Brunswick Street is the permanent site for the DEC, which is the Treasury’s second headquarters and will also accommodate the Department for Business and Trade. Construction of a new government hub will begin in October 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2026.
The hub will help grow the economy in the region with 1139 roles committed to Darlington, and 674 relocated to date. The move of Civil Service roles to Darlington is expected to generate approximately £30 million per 1,000 roles relocated in economic benefits for the town, down to increased footfall and spending from staff.
Alongside the Treasury, the Campus will house teams from the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Office for National Statistics and the Competition and Markets Authority. They will be working alongside the Department for Education who already have a base in Darlington.