Hundreds of new jobs are coming to Manchester as the Government has announced the opening of Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) headquarters in the City Centre.
The new DCMS Manchester HQ in Marble Street will contain the head office for Building Digital UK (BDUK) which recently announced it was becoming executive agency status.
BDUK is the driving force behind Project Gigabit, the government’s £5 billion plan to roll out faster broadband to hard-to-reach and rural areas and deliver gigabit-capable connections to 85 per cent of UK homes by 2025.
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council:
This is welcome news. Not only is it a reflection of Manchester’s role as a northern epicentre for culture, media and sport – and our thriving tech sector – it is also a move which should help stimulate further innovation and investment in the city and beyond.
The city is at the heart of a huge and diverse talent pool and tapping into will benefit the Government as well as bringing hundreds of jobs and other opportunities here.
Councillor Martyn Cox, GMCA lead for Culture:
A new DCMS office in the centre of Greater Manchester will create hundreds of good quality jobs in the city-region for our residents. The city-region is the fastest-growing digital and tech hub in Europe, and Greater Manchester is a great fit for the new Building Digital HQ. This is also a step in the right direction of redirecting decision-making from London to our regions.
Tim Newns, Chief Executive, MIDAS, Greater Manchester’s Inward Investment agency:
We’re incredibly excited about DCMS establishing its primary base outside London in Manchester, one of Europe’s leading digital cities. Digital has never been more important as a primary driver of growth across both Greater Manchester and the UK’s key industry sectors. However, DCMS also reflects other critical industries to Greater Manchester including Culture, Media and Sport, all of which we excel in and are the cornerstone of the Greater Manchester Strategy and Economic Vision.
