Mayfield project under review
THE PROPOSED “Whitehall of The North” scheme planned for the Piccadilly area of Manchester has been placed under review following the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review last month.
The scheme, which was proposed by the previous Labour administration, was set to involve the relocation of 5,000 civil servants from London to the site of the defunct Mayfield railway station, which is next to Piccadilly Station.
The move was part of a wider plan to move up to 24,000 civil service jobs outside the capital to other parts of the UK in a bid to save costs and promote regeneration elsewhere.
A strategic regeneration framework document for the 20-acre site was published in December 2009 ahead of a public consultation exercise led by Manchester City Council. Proposals included around 700,000 sq ft of office space and a major new public park alongside the River Medlock.
The proposals were supported by the Tories whilst in opposition as a method for reducing costs. However, the Coalition Government’s decision to abolish Government Office for the North West in July, which was due to be the first tenant on the site in 2014, and the announcement last month that the government plans to cull 490,000 public sector jobs have led to doubts being cast over whether the project will go ahead.
A spokesman said: “Following the Spending Review, we are reviewing the business case for the Mayfield civil service campus.
“Our focus will be to ensure that the campus continues to represent good value to the taxpayer and supports wider government priorities, particularly regeneration and the environment.”
