Wonders and blunders: The best and worst of government buildings
16 May Property & Estates

Wonders and blunders: The best and worst of government buildings

Forget break-out spaces and collaboration zones, many civil service offices of the past were ugly, impractical and unpleasant to work in. Jim Dunton explores the history of some of government’s most notorious buildings – and pays homage to some of the pioneering ones too
by Jim Dunton
SR25: 'Canary Wharf costs half as much as Westminster' – departments outline estate plans
13 Jun Property & Estates
SR25: 'Canary Wharf costs half as much as Westminster' – departments outline estate plans
The government needs a workforce plan to inform civil service relocation
21 May Property & Estates
The government needs a workforce plan to inform civil service relocation
MoD breaks ground on site for 1,100 staff in Blackpool
20 May Property & Estates
MoD breaks ground on site for 1,100 staff in Blackpool
HMRC opens redundancy scheme amid office closures
12 Jul 2021 Property & Estates
HMRC opens redundancy scheme amid office closures
Nearly 230 staff have until the end of July to accept redundancy offers
Home Office to open casework and asylum hub in Stoke
19 May 2021 Property & Estates
Home Office to open casework and asylum hub in Stoke
3,000 Home Office and BEIS jobs to move out of London, PM announces as part of "levelling up" plan
Liz Truss to move into Ian Fleming's old office as DIT moves to Old Admiralty Building
07 Apr 2021 Property & Estates
Liz Truss to move into Ian Fleming's old office as DIT moves to Old Admiralty Building
Move intended to "bring the department closer together operationally and geographically"
Government leases office and co-working space for temporary jocentres and 'hybrid' working
06 Apr 2021 Property & Estates
Government leases office and co-working space for temporary jocentres and 'hybrid' working
Contract will provide space for DWP's temporary jobcentres and give officials access to co-working spaces
Northern Ireland Civil Service to get remote-working hubs
18 Feb 2021 Property & Estates
Northern Ireland Civil Service to get remote-working hubs
Some departments will embrace "blended" flexible working model, finance minister says
Pandemic could make HMRC’s hubs plan ‘woefully out of date’, MPs warn
21 Jan 2021 Property & Estates
Pandemic could make HMRC’s hubs plan ‘woefully out of date’, MPs warn
Report also says department has spent too much of its IT budget patching up legacy systems rather than modernising them
Priorities for every department and new FCDO and Treasury hubs: what the Spending Review means for the civil service
25 Nov 2020 Property & Estates
Priorities for every department and new FCDO and Treasury hubs: what the Spending Review means for the civil service
What are your department’s new priorities?
'Relocations can be expensive and disruptive': four tests for moving civil servants out of London
11 Nov 2020 Property & Estates
'Relocations can be expensive and disruptive': four tests for moving civil servants out of London
Moving jobs out of London will not automatically level up the country, IfG says
Work begins on Peterborough hub as part of plans to move officials out of London
27 Oct 2020 Property & Estates
Work begins on Peterborough hub as part of plans to move officials out of London
Development forms part of government drive 'to spread jobs, growth and prosperity' across the country, Cabinet Office minister says
Government remains focused on levelling up despite Covid, insists minister
27 Oct 2020 Property & Estates
Government remains focused on levelling up despite Covid, insists minister
Northern Conservative MPs write to PM urging the cost of Covid not to be paid for by downgrading the levelling-up agenda
HM Land Registry offers £120k for digital chief to lead transformation
26 Oct 2020 Property & Estates
HM Land Registry offers £120k for digital chief to lead transformation
Tech leader will oversee digitisation of platforms and infrastructure upgrades
Civil Service Fast Stream kicks off recruitment round for over 800 posts
25 Sep 2020 Property & Estates
Civil Service Fast Stream kicks off recruitment round for over 800 posts
Selection of available jobs includes 244 roles for generalist officials
Dave Penman: the government’s return-to-office drive is yet another insult to civil servants
08 Sep 2020 Property & Estates
Dave Penman: the government’s return-to-office drive is yet another insult to civil servants
The introduction of targets for officials to get back into departments is gesture politics, says the FDA general secretary, and is likely to fail
Government’s Edinburgh hub completed
11 Aug 2020 Property & Estates
Government’s Edinburgh hub completed
The new office building will eventually house as many as 3,000 civil servants
Civil service Covid-19 safety measures revealed as 'low' number of officials return to offices
05 Aug 2020 Property & Estates
Civil service Covid-19 safety measures revealed as 'low' number of officials return to offices
Virtual meetings, desk booking and one-way systems among measures to ensure staff “work as safely as possible, whether remotely or in the workplace”
Second government hub in Croydon gets go-ahead
23 Jul 2020 Property & Estates
Second government hub in Croydon gets go-ahead
GPA contractors begin work on Croydon hub, with Home Office officials to start move by 2024
Gove reaffirms plans to move officials out of London amid report of new York hub
13 Jul 2020 Property & Estates
Gove reaffirms plans to move officials out of London amid report of new York hub
Senior officials already sizing up properties on Rightmove, according to The Times
HMRC chief officially opens new Bristol hub
17 Feb 2020 Property & Estates
HMRC chief officially opens new Bristol hub

Glass Wharf will house 1,650 tax-collection agency staff
Government gets keys to £100m Cardiff hub
16 Jan 2020 Property & Estates
Government gets keys to £100m Cardiff hub

Central Square offices will house 4,000 civil servants by end of the year
Estates and smart working: priorities for the government property profession
18 Oct 2019 Property & Estates
Estates and smart working: priorities for the government property profession

Head of the government property profession Janet Young tells Civil Service World how she is helping build expertise around government.
Council chief named new Government Property Agency chair
16 Oct 2019 Property & Estates
Council chief named new Government Property Agency chair

Newcastle City Council chief to help manage cross-government property efficiency drive
The Old War Office and Peace: Government Property Agency chair on offices past, present and future
16 Oct 2019 Property & Estates
The Old War Office and Peace: Government Property Agency chair on offices past, present and future

In CSW’s estates and smart working special report, GPA chair Liz Peace recalled how offices across government have changed, and the need to keep improving
Estates and smart working: government property chief Mike Parsons sets out his priorities
15 Oct 2019 Property & Estates
Estates and smart working: government property chief Mike Parsons sets out his priorities

Whitehall property chief Mike Parsons tells Civil Service World about the challenges and opportunities of managing the government’s property portfolio 
Peterborough and Birmingham to host next generation of government hubs
10 Oct 2019 Property & Estates
Peterborough and Birmingham to host next generation of government hubs

Around 2,700 civil servants will move to new cost-saving sites, Cabinet Office says