A major government office complex that is set to be built in Ancoats and bring 7,000 civil service jobs to Manchester has been given planning consent.
A new urban park for the area has also been given the green light.
The campus will be constructed on the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats after the city鈥檚 planning committee approved the Government Property Agency鈥檚 (GPA) scheme at Manchester City Council planning committee on February 20th.
The government says it will bring together a number of Civil Service departments with a focus around digital skills, creating significant employment opportunities and economic benefits in the region.
The campus is set to boost Manchester鈥檚 digital and tech sector, driving economic growth and new employment opportunities for the city.聽聽
The new urban park will be constructed with the aim to improve access to quality green space in Manchester city centre.
The park space has been designed in collaboration with landscape architects Planit-IE following public consultation.
鈥淲e are delighted with the decision and are grateful for the support of the many stakeholders in Manchester,鈥� said Mark Bourgeois, CEO at the GPA.
鈥淭he GPA team is proud to be working on this exciting project in support of the Government’s growth mission.鈥�
鈥淲e are pleased to be working with Manchester City Council on these regeneration plans, and look forward to creating fantastic and sustainable workplaces to support the transformation of the Civil Service.鈥�
Leader of the Council, Bev Craig, added: 鈥淕aining planning approval for both the GPA鈥檚 digital campus and the latest city centre park is the launchpad for the transformation of this site.聽聽
鈥淥ur ambition has long been to bring the former retail park back into active use and working in partnership with the GPA we are delivering a quality, low carbon development that will bring 7,000 civil service jobs to Manchester in the coming years.聽
鈥淭he new digital campus plays to Manchester鈥檚 strengths. We have fostered one of the fastest growing tech and digital communities in the UK, with a growing international reputation.鈥�