'Whitehall of the north'

Estates managers throughout the civil service will have their eyes on Manchester next month. Piquing their interest will be results of a study into the feasibility of a proposed civil service campus in Manchester will be released revealing the potential for trimming the public sector's annual accommodation bill by relocating - and co-locating civil servants from different departments - in purpose-built, modern and efficient buildings. A masterplan, Strategic Regeneration Framework, for a scheme that will house 5,000 civil servants will go for public consultation in January. If approved by government and Manchester planners, the civil service campus will be part of a mixed-use development that includes a new public park and private sector developments. The campus project has the added benefit that it will transform on a large site around Manchester's Piccadilly Station, a run down and neglected part of the city centre. February's feasibility study will examine the costs and benefits of the project in detail. Some of the likely savings are likely to be attributable to the energy efficiency of the buildings. Architect Bennetts Associates is aiming at achieving a (BRE Energy Assessment Method) BREEAM "outstanding" rating. But crucially, the government already owns the land through BRB (residuary), the company that reports to the Department of Transport and handles British Rail Board assets that remain following privatisation of the railways. Around half of the 5,000 the staff based in the new scheme would come from the Manchester area while the remainder would be relocated from London although it is not yet known from which departments. The strategic regeneration framework was prepared by property consultant Drivers Jonas and Bennetts Associates in consultation with the Office for Government Commerce and the Government Office of the North West. Liz Meek, regional director for the Government Office for the North West said that the proposed campus will create greater efficiencies by redeveloping government land and regenerating an important part of the city. "Most importantly this will also create better joined-up government delivering better public services for the people of the region." Although dubbed in some quarters as "Whitehall of the north" the campus will accommodate a relatively small proportion of the civil service in the region. In the northwest as a whole there are about 60,000 civil servants of whom approximately 10,000 are based within Greater Manchester according to a spokesman. However, the Government Office for the North West, the Highways Agency and the Training and Development Agency are all planning to move to nearby Piccadilly Gate – formerly Rail House -this year.