Defra to open new office in the North East under plan to boost regional presence and jobs

Defra has unveiled a plan to open a “core hub office” in Newcastle, to “boost job opportunities and increase the department’s presence in the North East of England”.

The Newcastle hub, according to Defra, will “enhance and support the close working and co-location between existing Defra staff in Newcastle, and arms-length body colleagues from the Marine Management Organisation, the Rural Payments Agency, Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission.” The Newcastle office would join others in London, York and Bristol.

The move comes ahead of Defra’s other scheduled plans under its Places for Growth programme. They include new offices in Edinburgh and Cardiff from January 2022 with plans for Northern Ireland “to follow.” The programme’s aim is “to move 22,000 roles out of London to build a more diverse and inclusive civil service.”

The Newcastle hub will be based at Defra’s existing Lancaster House site in the city which currently houses the Rural Payments Agency.