Andy Burnham's proposed No 10 North will be based in Ancoats, on the edge of Manchester city centre, according to reports. The northern centre of government is being built on a brownfield site and is not expected to be completed before 2028, the Manchester Evening News reported.
Interim Office Sought in Manchester City Centre
Burnham, widely expected to succeed Keir Starmer as prime minister in July, has pledged to shift part of his operation north. He has called for a radical overhaul of the “broken” Westminster system and said he would split his time between London and Greater Manchester. His team is understood to be looking for an interim office in the city centre to use until the Ancoats site is ready.
Manchester Digital Campus Details
The business case for the Manchester Digital Campus in Ancoats was formally signed off by the Treasury in March. The site will bring together about 8,800 people from multiple government departments, focusing on digital work. It aims to be fully operational by 2032 and will provide approximately 900,000 sq ft of purpose-built workspace across two buildings.
Local Government Context
As Manchester mayor, Burnham was based in the Tootal Buildings on Oxford Street. The city council is located in the town hall, which is undergoing a huge renovation project costing upwards of £500m. The Grade I-listed building closed in 2018 for repairs, now scheduled for completion by spring 2027.
Leadership and Support
Caroline Simpson, chief executive of Greater Manchester Combined Authority, has been appointed by Burnham to head up his operations in the north. Burnham's plan to devolve parts of Westminster has been largely welcomed by politicians and business leaders.
Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said the move “will help ensure that the relocation of civil servants to places such as Darlington, York and Manchester delivers its full potential”. He added: “These new government offices are helping regenerate those places, but ministers themselves have not yet made effective use of them. A regular ministerial presence outside Whitehall would strengthen decision-making and bring government closer to the communities it serves.”
Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, said Burnham's proposals to transfer more power to regional mayors “will help us lower the cost of living, regenerate our high streets and enable good growth across our regions”.
Huw Merriman, chair of the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board and a former Conservative rail minister, said Burnham's plan to reinstate the HS2 rail link to London “is the real prize”.
