Manchester's No 10 North: A New Nerve Centre

In a speech this week, Andy Burnham said No 10 North will be the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain,” positioning it as an extension of the Prime Minister’s office. Burnham plans to work one day per week from Manchester.

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The plan embodies a governmental aim to shift decision-making and resources from Downing Street to other UK regions, signalling a structural rebalancing of authority.

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The interim hub is expected to be Heron House, an office near Manchester Piccadilly that already hosts GCHQ, a Slug and Lettuce pub and a Greggs bakery. The permanent campus will occupy the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats, a 10.5-acre site bought by Manchester City Council for £37 million. In 2024 Government Property Agency exchanged contracts with the council and the Treasury approved a £310 million budget. Manchester Digital Campus targets completion in 2028 and operation by 2032 for 8,800 civil servants.

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Government officials call the Manchester Digital Campus a “cutting-edge” civil-service location and say it will provide modern facilities for thousands of staff. They reaffirm a 2032 opening. The GPA declined comment when asked for details.

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Residents and the Trees Not Cars campaign opposed a proposed temporary car park, leading the council to drop the plan and promise green space. Sources close to Burnham say the mayor prefers a modest, cost-effective building, noting his use of a 15-year-old Volkswagen Passat.

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Heron House provides security from its GCHQ tenancy. The ground floor houses a Slug and Lettuce with a £10 steak-sandwich-and-pint deal and a Greggs bakery. It also serves as the council’s registry office, hosting occasional wedding parties.

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Sources disagree on No 10 North’s final location; Heron House is the interim option while the permanent campus is still under construction. No timeline exists for GCHQ’s relocation, and the GPA has not commented on operational details.

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• “Now get this,” said Andy Burnham, barely able to hide his excitement as he announced that “No 10 North” would be the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain”. — Andy Burnham

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• “I would imagine wherever it is, it will have to be built and exist already,” — source close to Burnham

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• “He doesn’t want to be seen spending loads of money on himself or on his administration, so I wonder if it [No 10 North] will be an equally unimpressive space.” — source close to Burnham

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• “As if the message is – ‘it’s the people inside the building that are impressive, not the look of it’.” — source close to Burnham

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The Heron House office will operate while the Manchester Digital Campus advances toward its 2032 target. Monitoring will focus on budget adherence, staff integration and community response to the campus’s environmental commitments.

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