Civil servants working for government departments based in London have been offered relocation packages to encourage them to move to the North of England, the BBC understands.
It comes as the first details are emerging about the new No 10 North which has already started work, according to sources close to new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
The BBC has been told that the Northern branch of Downing Street will be overseen by cabinet minister and ally of Burnham, Louise Haigh.
Haigh, who is the first secretary of state, is thought to have been asked to lead a new Office for the Prime Minister, which will give her control of key decision- making bodies across government.
Announcing the changes,, external which will also include an AI Taskforce, Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Angela Smith said No 10 North would be a “dominant driver of the UK’s economy”.
It is understood that the initial location of No 10 North will be Heron House in central Manchester, in the same building which houses offices for the intelligence service GCHQ. Specialist police officers have been seen guarding the building.
It is likely that the longer term base for No 10 North will be at a new government “Digital Campus” which is under construction in the Ancoats area of Manchester. It is not due for completion until 2032.
However, a good indication of what it could look like comes from a new report, released on Tuesday.
The blueprint has been authored, external by the Re:State think tank which Burnham was involved with until he stepped down as mayor of Greater Manchester.
