The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is to consolidate its three London offices into 2 Marsham Street, SW1, by early 2018.
The move will release Ergon House and 9 Millbank, SW1, for a housing development. St Edward Homes, a joint venture between Berkeley Homes and M&G Real Estate, secured planning permission in 2014 to redevelop the buildings into 161 flats with ground-floor retail.
Defra staff based at Nobel House in Smith Square, SW1, will also relocate to Marsham Street in a move which will save the department £2m a year. The move will see Defra co-locate with the Home Office and Department for Communities and Local Government. It forms part of the government’s strategy to save £100m by 2030 by streamlining its estate.
Defra permanent secretary Clare Moriarty said: “The expiry of leases at two of our properties has made it possible to take this opportunity to bring Defra group people in London together into one purpose-built office.
“We are now busy drawing up a detailed relocation schedule with the current occupants of 2 Marsham Street with my aim for Defra group to complete the move by early 2018.”
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