400 new jobs as government cultural department creates Northern hub

Bruntwood Works Bloc office

Hundreds of jobs are set to be created after a government department announced the opening of a new Manchester city centre hub.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will be moving into 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 other bodies including Building Digital UK (BDUK), the driving force behind the £5bn broadband rollout to rural areas across the UK, which will be in the new DCMS Manchester HQ.

Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “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.”

The culture department is expanding its presence across the UK with staff to be based in Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Loughborough and Darlington.

Almost 200 DCMS staff will also move to a North East hub at The Darlington Economic Campus, a new shared site in the North East for the Treasury, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and the Department for Education.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “The days of London-centric decision making belong in the past. It’s an exciting time for DCMS as we expand our regional offices and tap into a more diverse talent pool.

“Our strength comes from our people and this will allow us to recruit the best, wherever they may be, to deliver the wide range of DCMS policies which drive growth and enrich lives all over the UK.”

The move comes following the government’s publication of its Levelling Up White Paper outlining its ambition to rebalance the country.

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close