New hub for 6,000 civil service staff

A total of 6,000 civil servants are to be relocated to a new “Government Hub” in Leeds in what is the biggest ever commercial property letting deal in the city’s history.

The Cabinet Office has confirmed the final phase of the Wellington Place scheme between Wellington Street and Whitehall Road.

A TOTAL of 6,000 civil servants are to be relocated to a massive new “Government Hub” in Leeds in what is the biggest ever commercial property letting deal in the city’s history.

In a move which has been longrumoured, the Cabinet Office has confirmed that the final phase of the Wellington Place scheme between Wellington Street and Whitehall Road will be the location of a brand new Government Hub. HMRC, working with the Cabinet Office, will take 378,000 sq ft at Wellington Place on a 25year lease.

The influx of Government workers will raise the headcount on the site to 10,000 people, with all staff expected to have been relocated to Leeds by 2020.

NHS Digital, which provides data and IT for the health service, will also relocate to Wellington Place with roles across multiple Government departments being relocated from Bradford, Shipley and York among others.

A spokesperson said: “Government Hubs will transform central government’s offices by accommodating many different departments in shared buildings in London and in the regions.

“The programme will deliver taxpayer savings, act as a catalyst for regional growth and ensure the delivery of the best quality services.”

Minister for Government Resilience and Efficiency, Caroline Nokes, said: “The Leeds hubs will be a catalyst for growth in the surrounding cities and towns, helping rebalance the UK economy and underpin our strategy for a strong, well-connected Northern Powerhouse that can continue to provide good-quality jobs and economic growth across the region.”

HMRC chief executive Jon Thompson said: “We are delighted to be part of the new UK Government Hub in Wellington Place, Leeds. This is another step in HMRC’s transformation into a modern digitally advanced tax authority.

“It is the beginning of a process that will see around 3,800 colleagues come together in state-ofthe art facilities, enabling closer working relationships and increasing our effectiveness in collecting taxes.”

Chief executive of NHS Digital, Sarah Wilkinson, said: “As one of Leeds’s major employers, it is an opportunity for greater consolidation of our Leeds estate when completed and will enable us at NHS Digital to build on our existing strong relationships with the wider NHS and government departments.

Jeff Pearey, director of JLL who advised the Cabinet Office added: “This is the largest office pre-let in Leeds ever and a major economic boost for the city.

“As well as constituting the largest first phase acquisition of all of the regional government hubs completed so far, this property deal bolsters and reinforces the long term potential of Leeds’s West End.”

This is the largest office pre-let in Leeds ever. Jeff Pearey, director of JLL who advised the Cabinet Office.