06.10.14
Government to move out of Whitehall by 2020
Government departments will move out of Whitehall and into the London suburbs, according to the new Government Estate Strategy.
Cabinet minister Francis Maude MP announced plans last week to reduce the number of government buildings in central London from the 143 there were in 2010 to just 23 by 2020.
The move is expected to save billions of pounds by 2030, as government figures show that it costs £35,000 per year to base someone in the Ministry of Defence at Whitehall, compared to £3,000 per year at the UK Visas and Immigration offices in Croydon.
Freeing up space in central London is also expected to be a boost for the economy, creating more space for housing and businesses.
Maude said: “As part of our long-term economic plan, this government is cutting waste to save taxpayers millions. Since 2010 we have got out of property 26 times the size of Buckingham Palace and halved our government buildings in London. Hard-working families expect us to do more and we will – shortly after 2020 there should be just 23 government buildings in our capital, releasing surplus space for housing and businesses.”
Since 2010 the government has moved out of 1,650 buildings across the UK and according to the Cabinet Office this has saved more than £600m in cumulative running costs and raised £1.4bn for the taxpayer.
Below is an interactive map showing current government offices in London and what they will look like in 2020 under the new proposals.
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