Thousands of civil servants are set to be relocated from London as part of a major government plan to cut costs and reform the structure of the civil service.
The UK Government has announced that 12,000 roles will be shifted from the capital to new regional hubs, aiming to decentralise power and bring decision-making closer to local communities.
The plan includes the closure of 11 government office buildings in London, including 102 Petty France, the largest government office in the capital, which currently houses around 7,000 staff from departments such as the Ministry of Justice and the Crown Prosecution Service.
This move is expected to save the government £94 million per year by 2032.
New civil service campuses will be developed across the country. Manchester will focus on digital innovation and artificial intelligence, while Aberdeen will specialise in energy.
These hubs will be supported by new roles in Birmingham, Leeds, Cardiff, Glasgow, Darlington, Newcastle and Tyneside, Sheffield, Bristol, Edinburgh, Belfast and York. Overall, the relocations are projected to contribute £729 million to local economies by the end of the decade.
The government aims for at least half of all senior civil service roles to be based outside London by 2030. Currently, around 80% of civil servants work outside the capital, though senior leadership remains largely London-based.
Departments are required to submit their relocation strategies as part of the upcoming spending review, which concludes on 11 June. The initiative is aligned with wider reforms aimed at reducing the size of the state, increasing productivity, and making the civil service more representative of the population it serves.
Unions have cautiously welcomed the changes. Leaders from Prospect and the FDA have acknowledged the potential benefits of regional empowerment and career development but have raised concerns about job security and the need for clear relocation plans.
Critics from the Conservative Party have questioned the seriousness of the Labour government’s commitment to efficiency, pointing to the creation of new public bodies and the underuse of regional offices.
However, the government maintains that the changes are a vital step in rebuilding the country and modernising the civil service.
As the civil service prepares for these significant changes, attention is turning to how the relocations, closures, and overall workforce reduction will be managed to minimise disruption and support long-term national growth.
