Home Office announces plans for long-term Stoke-on-Trent base

More Home Office jobs could be on their way to Stoke-on-Trent as the department has announced it has plans for a long-term base in the city.

The Home Office had signed a lease for 38,000 sq. ft of office space at Two Smithfield, in Hanley, to establish an innovation centre to accommodate case-working roles and an asylum hub.

Today, the major government department has confirmed that, in partnership with the Government Property Agency (GPA), it is looking to deliver a high-quality office facility of between 85,000 and 110,000 sq. ft in the city centre.

The development will support the Home Office’s plans to create more than 500 new jobs in the city in what is the second single biggest move of roles out of Whitehall to date.

Details around the multi-million pound commercial development are being kept under wraps while negotiations are ongoing but it is expected that the new facility will be ready for occupation in 2027.

Cabinet Office relocation data suggests that the Home Office’s new Stoke-on-Trent hub could bring an annual economic benefit of between £17 million and £33 million for the city and that, at scale, the equivalent of one new private sector job could be created for every public sector job.

The announcement has come as Stoke-on-Trent City Council officials make a 24-hour trip to MIPIM, the annual global real estate conference in France.

The council says attendance at the event – funded by sponsorship – is key for raising the profile of the city as it is attended by major developers.

Councillor Abi Brown, leader of the council, told Daily Focus: “It is hugely important to have the Home Office here in Stoke-on-Trent. They have recruited over 150 people locally already and there are several more hundred jobs coming.

“The long-term commitment by the Home Office in having a brand new high-quality office base in the city demonstrates the value of these jobs, not just for us as a city but nationally in the way that the Government is prepared to come and invest in Stoke-on-Trent.”

She added: “We are absolutely delighted that the Home Office has made this major commitment to our city and I am looking forward to working very closely with them in the future to help deliver this ambitious vision.”

Abi Tierney, Director General of Customer Services Capability in the Home Office, said: “As part of our long-term commitment to levelling up, we want to ensure that as a department we better reflect various local communities we serve.

“I am delighted to have been leading this partnership work with the council which will boost the local economy. We will create new jobs and office spaces in Stoke-on-Trent through building a case-working function to drive further innovation in the Home Office.”