Leeds to become home to Government department hub
Leeds has been selected as home to the Department for Work and Pensions’ second HQ which will house a Ministerial office due to open in April.
The DWP will move into Quarry House, in the Quarry Hill area of the city, a building purchased by Legal and General in 2019 for £243m. L&G also owns the Government’s two hubs let to HMRC and NHS Digital at Wellington Place in the city centre.
The move follows the announcements during the Budget that Leeds would become home to the new Infrastructure Bank and more recently by the Department for Transport that it would create 650 jobs at a regional headquarters in Birmingham and a northern hub in Leeds.
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Thérèse Coffey, said: “Designating Quarry House in Leeds as our second HQ with Ministerial offices builds on our presence in towns and cities across Britain.
“Leeds has a leading role in this country’s recovery as we build back better and deliver our Plan for Jobs.
“DWP ministers are excited about our second office, giving us direct entry into the Northern Powerhouse.”
Alongside the new ministerial offices the second HQ will build on the already established presence in Quarry House which includes core services such as digital, HR, finance, policy and operations.
It has also been confirmed that the Department of Health and Social Care will also establish a regular ministerial presence at the site.
Quarry House originally opened in 1993 as the new headquarters of the Department of Health and Social Security and at the time included a gym, swimming pool and landscaped gardens.
