Green light for Manchester Digital Campus office blocks

A major government office complex has been given planning consent to be built in central Manchester.

Known as the Manchester Digital Campus, the project will consist of a state-of-the-art hub constructed on the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats.

The campus will bring together a number of Civil Service departments with a focus around digital skills and create significant employment opportunities and economic benefits in the region.

Mark Bourgeois, CEO at the Government Property Agency (GPA), said: “We are delighted with the decision and are grateful for the support of the many stakeholders in Manchester. Our team is proud to be working on this exciting project in support of the Government’s growth mission.”

Alongside the new campus, a new park will improve access to quality green space in Manchester city centre, creating a connection to the existing Cotton Field Park and through to Ancoats and New Islington.

The park space has been designed in collaboration with landscape architects Planit-IE following public consultation.

Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig said: “Gaining planning approval for both the digital campus and the latest city centre park is the launch pad for the transformation of this site.

“Our 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.”