The Old Town development of New Waverley will become home to the new UK Government hub. The Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, has already announced the closure of their office in Melville Street.
The seven floor development at New Waverley is developed by Artisan Real Estate Investors and they held a topping out ceremony recently. There will be 2900 civil service jobs relocated to the new regional hub by 2020, and the government has taken a 25 year lease on the space. It will be home to the Secretary of State for Scotland, the Advocate General, Competition and Markets Authority, Office for Statistics Regulation, the Government’s Actuary’s Department and HM Treasury. There will also be room for some staff from the Health and Safety Executive and the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Speaking at the ceremony, Neil Richardson, Commercial Director, Government Property Agency said: “This new flagship building is part of our radical upgrade of the Civil Service, and will support a diverse and creative workforce as they make a real difference to the lives of people living in Scotland.
“The hub will provide high quality, skilled jobs right in the heart of the city centre as well as contributing significantly to the local economy. Alongside significant savings for the taxpayer, the roll-out of Government Hubs will provide modern working environments across the whole of the UK enabling us to provide the best public services we can.”
Julie McHugh, Edinburgh Regional Implementation Lead, HMRC spokesperson added: “Locating HMRC to a new regional centre in Edinburgh in the New Waverley development is another step in HMRC’s transformation into a modern, digitally advanced tax authority. This unique city centre location will bring our teams together to promote closer working relationships as well as increasing our effectiveness in collecting taxes.”
Pictured left to right are Neil Richardson (Commercial Director, Government Property Agency), Michael Yohanis (McAleer & Rushe), Clive Wilding (Artisan’s Project Director), Julie McHugh (Edinburgh Regional Implementation Lead, HMRC)
The completion of the office hub will complete the cornerstone of New Waverley’s current development phase, which will see the high quality office space blend with restaurants, cafes and shops around the public plaza. Artisan’s £200 million, 7.5 acre mixed-use scheme seamlessly links Waverley Station with the city’s iconic Royal Mile, forming part of the Old Town’s UNESCO World Heritage site.
Welcoming the UK Government to New Waverley, Clive Wilding, Artisan’s project director, said: “Bringing the UK Government hub right into the historic heart of Edinburgh is a ringing endorsement for what we are building here – not just for New Waverley, but for the city of Edinburgh and for Scotland. It sends out an important message that our city centres have the interest, value and capacity to attract investment from the very best employers, setting an important precedent for Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland
“For New Waverley, it’s another significant step of our journey to restore life, vitality and energy to this very special part of Edinburgh’s historic city centre, and will be a natural fit for the exciting and vibrant mixed-use community we are creating here.
“People coming to work here will enjoy an unmatched working, leisure and living environment. On their doorstep will be one of Scotland’s major transport hubs as well as an eclectic mix of shops, hotels, cafes, bars, restaurants and homes in a location that reflects both the best of the city’s heritage and its future.
“They will find that New Waverley is a genuinely unique destination in which to work, live and enjoy time out. This is a transformational development of a UNESCO Heritage site, in one of the world’s most iconic yet delicate locations. It’s pioneering the future, whilst preserving the past, representing a blueprint for sensitive yet positive city-centre regeneration.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
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