Kier breaks ground on £118m Darlington govt hub

The Treasury offices constructed on Brunswick Street will house more than 1,500 civil servants and form part of the wider Darlington Economic Campus, which will also include Feethams House and Bishopsgate House.

Located on a former car park, the offices are set to open at the start of 2028 and are being delivered by the Government Property Agency.

Kier began clearing works at the site earlier this week, with remediation works expected to finish in December and construction scheduled to start early next year.

The DEC was designed by Stanton Williams with input from BAM Design.

Permission for the project was granted in August last year, with the campus adding to the almost 2,000 civil service roles that are already based in the town.

Darlington is home to 10 government departments already, and moving the Treasury into the North East was seen as a significant part of the former Conservative government’s Levelling Up agenda.

The strategy to move more decision-makers up North was backed by the current government in May, when it announced it would relocate 12,000 roles away from London.

Andrew Ford, Brunswick Street programme director at the GPA, said: “This is a significant milestone for the Government Hubs Programme as we look to build on the success of the Darlington Economic Campus and support further economic growth in the region.