The Government Property Agency has been given the go-ahead by local planners to move forward with the construction of a five-storey government office on Brunswick Street in Darlington, County Durham.
The consent follows a public consultation prior to the submission of the Darlington government hub application in March.
The £118m, 100,000 sq ft office will build on the success of the Darlington Economic Campus, comprising Feetham House and Bishopsgate House, both in the town centre.
The development will form a part of the Government Hubs Programme supporting economic growth across the UK through the redevelopment of brownfield sites or repurposing existing buildings to create workplaces.
Work on site is set to begin later this year, with the opening earmarked for 2027.
Upon completion, the building will accommodate 1,400 civil servants from government departments including HM Treasury, the Department for Business and Trade, the Department for Education, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the Competition and Markets Authority.
Beth Russell, second permanent secretary to the Treasury, said: “With over 920 new Civil Service jobs already created in the town and 480 more to come, we are offering the opportunity for people in the North East to do government jobs that were traditionally only available in London, making government policy-making more reflective of the communities we serve.”
GPA chief executive Mark Bourgeois added: “It also supports the transformation of the Civil Service through delivery of a modern, inspirational and energy-efficient office complex.”
Image from the GPA
Send feedback to Evelina Grecenko
Follow Estates Gazette
