Manchester is set to become home to a state-of-the-art government digital campus after planning consent was granted for the Manchester Digital Campus, a landmark development on the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats.
The Manchester Digital Campus will support thousands of Civil Service jobs and provide a new centre for government digital transformation.
The development aligns with the Strategic Regeneration Framework established last year and supports Manchester’s growing role as a leading tech and digital hub. It is expected to bring 7,000 Civil Service jobs to Manchester over the coming years.
Mark Bourgeois, CEO of the GPA, welcomed the decision, stating: "We are delighted with the decision and are grateful for the support of the many stakeholders in Manchester. The GPA team is proud to be working on this exciting project in support of the Government’s growth mission."
The GPA exchanged contracts to acquire five-and-a-half acres of the former Central Retail Park in May last year, with the vision of establishing a modern digital hub. In partnership with Manchester City Council, the agency has worked on parallel proposals for the digital campus and a new city centre park, forming part of a wider regeneration effort.
The two organisations held a public consultation in August and September 2024, engaging local residents and businesses to shape the plans.
Council Leader Bev Craig hailed the approval as a significant step in Manchester’s digital and economic development: "Gaining planning approval for both the GPA’s digital campus and the latest city centre park is the launchpad for the transformation of this site.
Our ambition has long been to bring the former retail park back into active use, and working in partnership with the GPA we are delivering a quality, low-carbon development that will bring thousands of jobs to Manchester."
Further phases of development on the remaining parts of the site will be announced in due course, with the project marking a key milestone in Manchester’s ambition to lead the UK in government digital transformation and urban regeneration.