The Leader of Manchester City Council has welcomed the announcement today (Thursday 3 February 2022) that the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is creating a new hub in the city.
The new office in Bruntwood Works' Bloc scheme in Marble Street in the city centre will accommodate up to 400 staff, making it the largest DCMS hub outside London.
The move will also bring DCMS closer to arms lengths bodies doing related work. The head office for Building Digital UK (BDUK) will be in the new DCMS Manchester HQ and it is the driving force behind the £5 billion broadband rollout to rural areas across the UK.
MIDAS, Greater Manchester’s inward investment agency, helped advise on the relocation.
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:
“This is welcome news. Not only is it a reflection of Manchester's role as a northern epicentre for culture, media and sport - and our thriving and fast-growing tech sector - it is also move which should help stimulate further innovation and investment in the city and beyond.
"The city is at the heart of a huge and diverse talent pool and tapping into will benefit the Government as well as bringing hundreds of jobs and other opportunities here.
“Government must not be concentrated in the capital and having more decision-makers based in the north should help bring a different perspective. Our door is always open to discuss further such relocations.”