A new core Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) office is set for Newcastle upon Tyne, the government has announced today (Friday, November 19).
The new office will boost Defra’s presence in, and create job opportunities for, the North East of England.
The area was selected due to its pool of professionals in the local community, as well as its excellent transport links to and from the other hubs.
The new hub will be based at the department’s existing Lancaster House site.
The Newcastle location will also form part of the Places for Growth programme, which will move 22,000 Civil Service roles out of London by 2030.
This move, the government statement said, will also enhance and support the close working and co-location between existing Defra staff in Newcastle and arms-length body colleagues from the Marine Management Organisation, the Rural Payments Agency, Natural England, the Environment Agency and the Forestry Commission.
Defra already has staff based around the UK, with current hub offices in London, York and Bristol.
It will also be establishing a presence in Edinburgh and Cardiff from January 2022, and plans for Northern Ireland will follow.
