The Department for Transport is setting up two new locations in Birmingham and Leeds as part of plans to move half of the civil service out of London by 2030.
The department, which employs more than 18,000 staff, is to set up a northern hub, as well as a second HQ in the West Midlands to accompany its London base on Horseferry Road, SW1.
The Birmingham base will include new ministerial offices, with ministers expected to spend “a significant amount of time there”, the DfT said this morning. The move is set to create around 650 jobs in the cities.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps said: “This is a historic move for the department and part of a significant wider culture change across Whitehall.
“Transport is absolutely vital to the local communities we serve, and having hubs in major cities like Birmingham and Leeds will offer a fresh perspective on how we can better serve these areas.”
The move, which follows plans to create a new Treasury HQ in Darlington earlier this month, is part of a drive to relocate 22,000 civil service jobs out of the capital over the coming decade. A total of £65m has been allocated for the government hubs programme in 2021 to 2022 for office works and improvements.
Maria Machancoses, chief executive of transport strategy body Midlands Connect, said: “This is fantastic news for Birmingham and the wider region – the Midlands plays a vital role at the heart of the UK transport network; it can now be at the centre of policymaking too.
“Moving skilled jobs and ministerial offices out of Westminster is an essential part of levelling up. Birmingham is home to a wealth of talent and transport knowledge, and I have no doubt this move will be a huge success.”
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