McLaren Property has sold its option on a 7,926 sq m site on Brunswick Street in Darlington for an undisclosed price to the Government Property Agency (GPA), which plans to create a new government hub there.
Construction of the new Darlington Economic Campus (DEC), which will house up to 1,400 civil servants and act as the Treasury’s second HQ, will begin next year and is expected to complete in 2026.
The DEC was established in the town in August 2021 and a number of different government departments moved into Feethams House in June last year.
The building currently houses around 650 people, but this will more than double when the DEC moves to its new Brunswick Street site, which is currently a vacant car park. The sit was acquired by McLaren in November 2021.
Tom Gilman, regional managing director at McLaren Property, said: “This is a well-connected site that will be an important campus location for the government, encouraging cross-government collaboration between co-located departments and bringing the spending power of 1,400 civil servants to the town.”
Jeremy Quin, minister for the Cabinet Office, added: “Levelling up is about tangible change on the ground and the purchasing of the Darlington Economic Campus land shows that the government is putting down roots in the communities we serve. The campus will house 1400 civil servants and as the Treasury’s second headquarters is a visible signal of levelling up in action.
“It will not only create job opportunities for people in the local area, it also means a civil servant could pursue an entire career to the top of their profession without ever moving to London. The land purchase shows how the government is spreading opportunity across the country and putting down permanent roots in communities, as the country levels up.”
It is expected the construction contract tender for the new DEC will be released via the CCS Construction Works Framework in Q4 2023.
