100 more Government jobs to come to Darlington as THIRD department announces relocation

They will join the 750 Treasury workers and 500 Overseas Trade civil servants in a new “economic campus” which is to be built at Central Park, near Bank Top Station.

It is hoped that many of the 105 posts with the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will be filled by local recruits.

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Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “These will be top level jobs for economic analysts, for people who are regional engagers with business and at every level of the civil service.

“The point of levelling up is that talent is everywhere. It is just that hitherto the opportunity has been centred only in certain locations, and the whole point of levelling up is to spread that opportunity. That’s why my focus is on recruiting local talent.”

The BEIS posts will be filled by natural “churn”: as jobs become empty in London, they will be replaced by a post in Darlington, although some civil servants are also expected to relocate. BEIS’ goal is that by 2025, it will have 30 per cent of its staff working outside London,

The Home Office is also announcing that 500 of its staff will be relocated to a new Innovation Centre and an Asylum Co-ordination Hub in Stoke.

Mr Kwarteng said: “Our policy developers and decision-makers should reflect the communities they serve. Relocating these civil service roles will ensure central government hears the voice of local communities louder and clearer than ever before, while creating hubs of economic opportunity and growth across the UK.”

The process of shifting jobs out of London was begun in March’s Budget when Chancellor Rishi Sunak said 22,000 civil servants will move from the capital by the end of the decade. The Richmond MP set the ball rolling by moving 750 jobs, including a director-general post and himself for a couple of days a week, to Darlington.

As the process continues, a fourth department may yet join the economic campus.

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Darlington MP Peter Gibson said he was “delighted” by today’s announcement. “These increased opportunities will help reverse the brain drain of people from the North-East,” he said. “People will now grow up here, study for a degree at a local university and then build a career in the civil service without having to leave the region.

“One of the biggest aspects of the levelling up agenda is putting a diversity of job opportunities into the local economy. This will make the town a more attractive place to live.”

Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen hailed the “fantastic” news, and said: “The move further cements the position of the new Darlington campus at the centre of Government policy, giving us Whitehall’s ear like never before.

“As home to the UK’s largest freeport, we’re securing investment and working with companies all around the world. Having the Department for Business join Treasury and DIT colleagues here means we have three key departments we need to create new businesses and jobs across our region as quickly as we possibly can.”

Darlington council leader Heather Scott welcomed the effect that the jobs will have on the whole town. “Our strapline is that Darlington is a town to live, work and play in, and as well as the opportunities that these jobs will bring people, they will have a major impact on the housing, retail and cultural sectors for years to come.”