The building of a new Civil Service office space will begin next
month after the Government Property Agency (GPA) secured a
crucial agreement.
Signed today - 22nd December - the contract between the agency
and Kier Group confirms works will begin at Brunswick Street,
Darlington, in January 2026 and last for two years.
The new Government Hub, being delivered by the GPA, will be ready
for occupation during the first quarter of 2028.
More than 1,600 civil servants will be based in the building,
which will become part of the wider Darlington Economic Campus
(DEC) when it opens.
Minister , Minister of State without
Portfolio at the Cabinet Office, said:
I'm delighted we have secured this agreement for the new
Brunswick Street hub, providing a new and modern home for civil
servants in Darlington.
This project is a fantastic example of our commitment to creating
more opportunities outside of London and supporting economic
growth across the entire country.
Darlington and the wider Tees Valley have shown they have the
talent and the workforce to play a leading part in driving the
government's Plan for Change and I'm so pleased to see this
flagship project in our region.
Simon Hulme, the GPA's Director of Capital Projects, said:
This is an important development for our Government Hubs
Programme as we look to create great workplaces for the Civil
Service while delivering a smaller, better and greener office
estate. We are pleased to be extending our key partnership with
Kier Group and will continue to work alongside the company to
ensure the construction works commence at the site seamlessly.
Once completed, the Brunswick Street hub will be a modern,
inclusive and digitally-enabled office that promotes greater
collaboration amongst civil servants, building on the success of
the Darlington Economic Campus.
Ground remediation works began at the site in September after the
GPA and Kier identified preconstruction site risks, which
included the remains of previous buildings, legacy fuel tanks and
concrete slabs. They are expected to finish by mid-January,
allowing for a seamless transition into the start of
construction.
Sean Fenner, Managing Director for Kier Construction North &
Scotland, said:
We are looking forward to continuing what is a superb
collaboration with the GPA for this landmark project in
Darlington.
Our early involvement in the scheme has meant that we have been
able to effectively engage with our supply chain to anticipate
and address the technical challenges ahead.
The early ground remediation works completed to date have also
enabled us to better understand the site conditions and derisk
the project for a smoother delivery within a busy town centre
environment. We've brought together the very best of Kier -
across our experienced design, mechanical and electrical, and
construction teams - to deliver the strongest possible outcomes
for this important project.
DEC forms part of the Government Hubs Programme, supporting
economic growth across the UK through the redevelopment of
brownfield sites or repurposing existing buildings to create
efficient, sustainable and productive workplaces.
Building on 750 existing Department for Education (DfE) roles,
DEC has now welcomed over 1,000 more civil servants to
Darlington, supporting our Places for Growth initiative to
strengthen the government's presence across the country.
In total, DEC incorporates nine government departments, including
HM Treasury, ONS, DCMS, DfE, the Ministry of Housing, Communities
and Local Government, the Department for Business and Trade, the
Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Department for
Science, Innovation and Technology, and the Competition and
Markets Authority.
