Kickstarting economic growth

Kickstarting growth across all nations and regions of the UK is one of our strategic objectives which will make a real difference to people and places.

We work in partnership to deliver a smaller, better, greener public property estate. We stimulate economic growth across the UK, bringing civil servants closer to the communities they serve, increasing connection to place and creating socio-economic value.

  • Our work benefits communities in all UK regions, bringing huge benefits to places and helping deliver regional priorities – catalysing regeneration, bringing jobs and investment to the local economy, and delivering social value.
  • We have strong partnerships with combined and local authorities and are using our programme to help deliver our goals and theirs.
  • By supporting government departments to have greater representation across the UK, we are giving more people the chance to access Civil Service careers near to where they live, creating hubs for talent and boosting local economies.
  • Our development projects have wider effects, encouraging further investment and contributing to long term growth and wider employment as businesses seek to co-locate alongside government.

What we have done to kickstart growth across the UK

53% of estate

Grew our management of the government’s office portfolio assets to 53%, over 950,000 square metres. 

Closed 12 London offices

Decreasing operating costs by circa £40 million per annum (gross).

Refurbished five spaces

We refurbished spaces in Stoke, Bristol and three in London.

16,000 jobs to the regions

These civil servant roles have been moved from London, of which approximately half have been absorbed into the existing regional estate at almost no additional cost.

Created four regional hubs

Darlington, Peterborough, Birmingham and Croydon, with another in Manchester close to completion.

Regional offices

  • Refurbishing buildings in East Kilbride and Bristol
  • Awarded contracts for a new hub in Manchester
  • Started construction of the permanent solution for the Darlington Economic Campus
  • Defined solutions for office facilities in Birmingham, York and Stoke-on-Trent.

Manchester First Street concept

London offices

  • The Plan for London will consolidate the central estate in the capital through the closure of no fewer than 11 buildings by 2030, delivering annual savings of £94 million
  • Delivered refurbishments in 22-26 Whitehall, 3-8 Whitehall Place and 55 Whitehall
  • Closed 1 Victoria Street in January 2024 and five other buildings in Central London, releasing circa 42,000 metres squared
  • Closed The Rookery and Clive House in 2025, creating annual savings of circa £9m
  • Agreed London rationalisation plans with all major departments
  • Developed a plan for Central London property disposals and supporting redevelopment of existing offices.

Part of the Whitehall estate

Social value and specialist facilities

  • Work with Local Authorities on place-based solutions contributing to regional regeneration
  • Require our suppliers to make best use of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and apprentices
  • Achieve planning consent for Reading European Centre for Medium Range Weather Facility.

The future site for the Darlington Economic Campus.