RELOCATION
own experience of business transformation is supported by some impressive credentials of public sector organisations which have already made
Birmingham their home: the Gambling Commission; the Big Lottery Fund; the Local Better Regulation Office; the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council
and, most recently, the Highways Agency and the Legal Ombudsman, both of which have chosen state of the art offices in the heart of Birmingham as their new bases.
For many there is still a belief that proximity to London is vital. For other departments which serve a national audience and network of local offices, a central location is paramount. Birmingham fits the bill on both counts. Our current air, road and rail connections provide access not only to all corners of the UK, but increasingly so to overseas destinations too.
98% of the UK is within a four hour drive of Birmingham. Birmingham New Street Station has more direct connections than any other UK station and its current capacity is expected to rise to 52 million passengers a year once a £620m redevelopment programme is completed.
And the fastest journey time to London is currently 1 hour 20 minutes and will be cut to an impressive 49 minutes once high speed rail is introduced.
And then of course there’s our sheer scale. Birmingham is not just the UK’s second city in name but also in size. Our estimated population is over one million and within a 30 minute catchment of the city there are in excess of 1,300,000 economically active people supported by a regional labour force of 2,600,000.
Figures such as these would allow us to easily absorb relocated organisations in to the local economy and infrastructure while reassuring those who have relocated that they’re able to draw upon a wealth of experience from the existing population.
Sep/Oct 10
While it is unclear just how many civil servants would actually relocate with any departmental move, we recognise the sensitivities that moving departments creates, particularly with regards to staff, and we want to provide as soft a landing as possible to those who actually do move.
Also central to Birmingham’s success is its diverse cultural influences and strong artistic heritage which offers something for everyone. The region is fast becoming a sought after weekend destination for culture, offering visitors some of the world’s most respected performing artists and
companies, festivals dedicated to books, jazz, arts, dance and food.
The Ian Smith Report underlines the view that if substantial efficiency savings are to be achieved, and if a significant impact is going to be made on the economic vibrancy of the regions, then 15,000 civil service posts must be relocated out of London and the south east over the next five years.
The report goes on to suggest that over the longer term, the total number of civil servants in London should be reduced by one third.
Since the report was published, we have had a change of government and, while there are signs that the new government is warm to the idea of public sector relocation, recent decisions have focused on ‘quick’ savings.
I’d like to urge the government to give serious consideration to how best to streamline public sector departments in order to reduce waste and duplication and I believe that by relocating and reforming Whitehall, we will start to see a real and lasting cut in the deficit.
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