Hundreds of jobs on track to be created as Government department relocates

The Department for Transport is to move hundreds of jobs to Birmingham and Leeds as the Government continues its reorganisation of departments.

The latest change commits to creating 650 jobs at a regional headquarters in Birmingham, which will include ministerial offices, and a northern hub in Leeds.

It has recently confirmed it will create second headquarters for the housing department in Wolverhampton and the Cabinet Office in Glasgow, while Treasury North will be set up in Darlington.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “This is a historic move for the department and part of a significant wider culture change across Whitehall.

“Transport is absolutely vital to the local communities we serve and having hubs in major cities like Birmingham and Leeds will offer a fresh perspective on how we can better serve these areas.”

Birmingham has become a hub for transport expertise in recent years, and is home to HS2’s head office as well as the National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure, while Leeds was named as the home of the new infrastructure bank in the Budget earlier this month.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The West Midlands has undergone a transport revolution in recent years, with the reopening of old railway lines, expanded tram routes, and an upgraded green bus fleet, along with the rollout of e-scooters and a cycle hire scheme. The DfT will be right at home here, and I look forward to welcoming the team to the best connected region in the UK.

“Along with the relocation of MHCLG to Wolverhampton, this is a major vote of confidence in the West Midlands and a huge jobs boost at what is an incredibly difficult economic time. I’m delighted that after months of making the case we’ve won through, and a second major Government department will be calling the West Midlands home.”

The Government has previously set the target of moving 22,000 civil service jobs out of London and into the regions by 2030, and has now committed that half of senior civil service roles will also be outside of London by then.

The Department for Transport has already begun recruiting in Birmingham and Leeds, with 100 roles created so far.

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