Government opens Canary Wharf hub
The government has today (16 October) opened its Canary Wharf hub as part of a wider efficiency drive.
More than 6,000 civil servants will move into the new Docklands office, resulting in savings of £24m a year. The average cost per square metre in the Canary Wharf building is £700, compared with £950 for Whitehall buildings.
In total it has leased 542,000 sq ft at 10 South Colonnade, E14.
The government has today (16 October) opened its Canary Wharf hub as part of a wider efficiency drive.
More than 6,000 civil servants will move into the new Docklands office, resulting in savings of £24m a year. The average cost per square metre in the Canary Wharf building is £700, compared with £950 for Whitehall buildings.
In total it has leased 542,000 sq ft at 10 South Colonnade, E14.
The move forms part of the government’s plan to reduce the number of office buildings it occupies from 800 to 200 by 2030.
The Government Property Agency is expected to deliver £3.6bn of savings over 20 years, of which £2.5bn will be delivered by the hubs programme.
See also: Government chief property officer: “We have huge ambitions”
HM Revenue and Customs will be the largest occupier of the Canary Wharf office, formerly occupied by Barclays, with 2,000 of its people set to move there.
Oliver Dowden, minister for implementation, said: “It’s great to see public and private sector staff rubbing shoulders here in Canary Wharf. This hub is one of 14 across the country already announced which will use cutting-edge design and innovative technology to deliver smarter public services that reduce vacant space across the government estate.
“The government has saved £300m per year in running costs, through the disposal of over 1,000 properties since 2014. By the end of this parliament we will have established a network of around 20 multi-agency government hubs across the UK that utilise efficient smarter working practices and are accessible to the communities they serve.
“We are aiming for a more relaxed, informal atmosphere. A lot of our office buildings are listed, historic buildings. Here at Canary Wharf we now have big open floors and are less constrained. We will rely on more hot-desking and there will be more breakout spaces.”
The government created the GPA in April. As part of the hubs programme, launched in June 2016, the government plans to move thousands of public sector jobs outside London by 2030. Civil servants will be consolidated into around 20 hub locations around Britain.
The government has also announced plans to open hubs in Croydon, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast.
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