New Department for Transport headquarters to open in Birmingham

The second city site will open alongside a new northern hub in Leeds as part of plans to move 22,000 civil servants out of London in the next decade.

According to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps the move will create 650 roles across the two cities by 2025, and will see ministerial offices set up in Birmingham.

It comes after the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced it was opening a second headquarters in Wolverhampton later this year.

Mr Shapps said: "This is a historic move for the department and part of a significant wider culture change across Whitehall.

"Transport is absolutely vital to the local communities we serve and having hubs in major cities like Birmingham and Leeds will offer a fresh perspective on how we can better serve these areas."

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “The West Midlands has undergone a transport revolution in recent years, with the reopening of old railway lines, expanded tram routes, and an upgraded green bus fleet, along with the rollout of e-scooters and a cycle hire scheme.

"The DfT will be right at home here, and I look forward to welcoming the team to the best connected region in the UK.

'Vote of confidence'

“Along with the relocation of MHCLG to Wolverhampton, this is a major vote of confidence in the West Midlands and a huge jobs boost at what is an incredibly difficult economic time.

"I’m delighted that after months of making the case we’ve won through, and a second major Government department will be calling the West Midlands home.”

Maria Machancoses, CEO of Midlands Connect, said: “This is fantastic news for Birmingham and wider region – the Midlands plays a vital role at the heart of the UK transport network; it can now be at the centre of policymaking too.

"Moving skilled jobs and ministerial offices out of Westminster is an essential part of levelling-up, Birmingham is home to a wealth of talent and transport knowledge, and I have no doubt this move will be a huge success.”

Labour's mayoral candidate, Birmingham MP Liam Byrne, said it was "well overdue for Westminster to start moving jobs to Britain’s second city".

"And after losing 6,000 civil service jobs across the region, a share of 650 jobs is at least a start in repairing the damage of recent years," he added.

Recruitment for the Birmingham and Leeds sites is underway, with 100 roles created so far including senior civil servant positions.