A government department has announced that it will be opening its new headquarters in Manchester city centre, and it will create up to 400 job opportunities.
A part of the recently-announced Levelling Up plans, and in what is said to be in a move away from “London-centric decision making”, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced that the new Manchester city centre building on Marble Street will be the largest DCMS hub outside of the capital.
The new Manchester HQ will contain the head office for Building Digital UK (BDUK).
BDUK is said to be “the driving force” behind Project Gigabit – the government’s £5 billion plan to roll out faster broadband in hard-to-reach and rural areas, and deliver gigabit-capable connections to 85% of UK homes by 2025.
“The days of London-centric decision making belong in the past,” said Culture Secretary, Nadine Dorries on the announcement.
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“It’s an exciting time for DCMS as we expand our regional offices and tap into a more diverse talent pool. Our strength comes from our people and this will allow us to recruit the best, wherever they may be, to deliver the wide range of DCMS policies which drive growth and enrich lives all over the UK.”
Hello Manchester!
Our new hub opens today in the heart of the North West, strengthening our commitment to recruiting talented individuals from across the country and ensuring job opportunities are spread equally across the UK.#LevellingUphttps://t.co/yLGX0zpdKB
The creation of this new HQ in Manchester city centre comes as part of wider government plans to relocate 22,000 civil service roles out of London by 2030, with Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Loughborough, and Darlington also all set to benefit from these plans.
The plans have for the new HQ have ben hailed as “welcome news” by Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, who added: “Not only is it a reflection of Manchester’s role as a northern epicentre for culture, media and sport – and our thriving and fast-growing tech sector – it is also 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.
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“Government must not be concentrated in the capital and having more decision-makers based in the north should help bring a different perspective.
“Our door is always open to discuss further such relocations.”
Marble Street in Manchester city centre where the new DCMS HQ will be located / Credit: Google Maps
Councillor Martyn Cox – GMCA’s lead for Culture – also added: “A new DCMS office in the centre of Greater Manchester will create hundreds of good quality jobs in the city-region… [which] is the fastest-growing digital and tech hub in Europe.
“This is also a step in the right direction of redirecting decision-making from London to our regions.”
‘Enough is enough’ – Andy Burnham issues emphatic statement on Avanti West Coast nationalisation
Emily Sergeant
Avanti West Coast is set to be nationalised from next spring, the Government has confirmed.
After it was revealed back in 2024 to be the UK’s most ‘unreliable’ train operator, according to a shocking study, with 15.36% of its trains cancelled or delayed on average, it has now been confirmed that Avanti – which runs the West Coast Main Line from Manchester to London – will be transferred over to public ownership in March 2027.
Before this, the company had previously been given until 1 April 2023 to continue running the route, but was told it needed to ‘drastically improve’ its services if it was to stand any chance of having the contract extended further beyond that date.
Despite many customers continuing to voice discontent with level of services during this time, the Department for Transport (DfT) under the previous Conservative government deemed ‘significant improvements had been made’.
Avanti West Coast is set to be nationalised from next spring / Credit: Avanti (Press Images)
Now though, in the year 2026 with a Labour government in power at Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the helm, it has been confirmed that Avanti West Coast will be nationalised.
The Government says the services will be ‘run in the interests of passengers, not private sector shareholders’.
“From 7 March, taxpayers will no longer be paying fees to a private operator. Instead, every penny will be spent for the benefit of passengers,” the Labour Party said in a statement.
Andy Burnham has also issued his own emphatic statement on the matter.
Enough is enough.
For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti’s cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again.
So my Labour government is bringing Avanti West Coast into public ownership at the earliest opportunity in…
He wrote on X: “Enough is enough. For years, people have been expected to put up with Avanti’s cancellations, delays, overcrowding, and a service that has failed them time and time again.
“So my Labour government is bringing Avanti West Coast into public ownership at the earliest opportunity in March next year. That means passengers, not shareholders, will come first.
“More investment, fewer delays, and a renewed focus on getting the basics right.
“We’re putting essential services back in public hands and building a railway that actually works for the people who use it.”
Andy Mellors, who is the Managing Director at Avanti West Coast, added in his own statement: “Over the coming months, we’ll work closely with the Government to ensure a seamless transition into public ownership while remaining focused on delivering for our customers and communities.”
Featured Image – Avanti (Press Image)
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Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.
Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.
And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.
This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.
Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.
BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.
Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned.
To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.
Emily Sergeant -
15th February 2022 
