The government has saved more than £17 million in rental costs over the past six months by closing a series of expensive central London offices, ensuring public money is redirected to where it is needed most.
The latest site to close, 10 Victoria Street, has now officially shut its doors. The move will save £8.8 million annually, making it the third major London building to close since September. The closures of The Rookery and Clive House earlier in the year brought combined annual savings from all three buildings to approximately £17.5 million.
A total of 11 buildings in central London are scheduled to close by 2030, with more than 14,000 civil servants relocating as part of the programme. Once complete, the closures are expected to deliver £94 million in annual savings.
The relocations form part of the government’s Places for Growth strategy, which aims to strengthen the presence of the Civil Service across the UK by moving roles from the capital to regional hubs. Under this approach:
- 50% of Senior Civil Service roles will be based outside London by 2030
- More than 23,000 roles have already been relocated
- Around 34% of senior officials are now based regionally
The strategy is designed to bring decision‑making closer to communities, support regional economic growth and make better use of the wider government estate.
Approximately 1,000 staff from 10 Victoria Street have already been moved into high‑quality accommodation within the existing government estate, including 100 Parliament Street and 26 Whitehall.
Consolidating teams into fewer buildings helps maximise use of government‑owned spaces and reduce reliance on expensive leased offices.
The next significant London office to close will be Caxton House, home to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Its closure is expected to deliver an additional £19 million in annual savings.
Under the plans, DWP staff will relocate to Sanctuary Buildings, ensuring more efficient use of space and driving further value for taxpayers.
The office closures are part of a long‑term effort to modernise and rationalise the government estate by:
- Reducing unnecessary property costs
- Consolidating staff into fewer, more modern buildings
- Prioritising flexible, accessible, sustainable workspaces
- Supporting regional growth through relocation of Civil Service roles
Cabinet Office Minister Anna Turley commented:
“This latest closure is another milestone in our commitment to securing further savings for the taxpayer. By reducing the number of buildings we rent in central London, we’ve already saved over £17 million in the past six months - money that can now be better spent delivering on the public’s priorities.
“At the same time, we’re taking more decision-making out of Whitehall and moving it closer to communities all across the UK, making it easier for talented people, wherever they are, to join the Civil Service and help us rebuild Britain.
“The closures are part of the Government’s Plan for London, delivered by the Government Property Agency (GPA), which moves staff out of high-cost rentals and into high-quality, available spaces within the existing government estate, to ensure it is utilised more efficiently.”
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