Overview
- Construction began on 16 January in Darlington with a groundbreaking led by Chancellor Rachel Reeves alongside Cabinet Office Minister Anna Turley.
- The five-storey office is planned to accommodate more than 1,600 civil servants, with opening targeted for the first quarter of 2028.
- The new building will serve as the permanent base for the Darlington Economic Campus, hosting staff from seven departments including HM Treasury.
- The Government Property Agency is delivering the project with Kier Group as lead contractor, and ground remediation has already been carried out at the site.
- Officials describe the hub as a modern, sustainable and digitally enabled workspace that extends the relocation of civil service roles to Darlington, which has already welcomed over 1,000 additional staff beyond initial DfE posts.