Treasury approves Manchester Digital Campus business case
Tim Coulthard
The Treasury has approved the outline business case for the Manchester Digital Campus (MDC), marking a key milestone for one of the government's flagship digital infrastructure programmes.
The decision confirms HM Treasury backing for the large-scale Civil Service campus, which will consolidate around 8,800 officials in Manchester with a focus on digital, data and technology roles.
The campus forms a central component of the government’s wider digital and data strategy, as well as the Places for Growth programme to rebalance the civil service footprint beyond London.
Planned for a brownfield site in Ancoats, the MDC will deliver approximately 900,000 sq ft of office space across two buildings, with completion targeted for 2032. Approval of the business case provides confirmation of the programme’s economic and operational case, including:
- A benefit-cost ratio of 4.32
- £2.345bn net present social value
- Estimated £4.7bn in long-term estate efficiencies over 60 years
- Projected £240m annual estate savings at full operation
By consolidating staff currently spread across multiple leased offices into a single freehold campus, MDC is intended to reduce estate costs while enabling more integrated, cross-departmental digital delivery.
The Cabinet Office and Government Property Agency will lead delivery, working with multiple departments and Manchester City Council. Construction is expected to support around 4,900 jobs over a four-year build period, with enabling works scheduled for 2026–27 and main construction following from 2027.
The programme also aligns with the continued development of the North West as a digital and cyber hub, where around 25,000 civil servants are already based. Cabinet Office minister Anna Turley said the approval would enable the government to “turn disused land into a digital centre for government”, while reinforcing the shift of decision-making beyond Whitehall.
