Andy Burnham's ambition to establish a northern headquarters, dubbed 'No10 North,' is facing a projected delay of at least six years, with its envisioned operational date set for 2032. The project, intended to decentralize power and create a more balanced distribution of national leadership resources, has also drawn criticism from local residents regarding its design and potential impact on infrastructure.
The proposed site, a five-acre plot near Manchester Piccadilly station, is already slated for a civil service hub. While the Treasury approved the outline case for this campus in March, its development has been ongoing since the council acquired the land in 2017. Construction is expected to commence in the coming years, but the target for the hub to become operational is 2032, a timeline that extends beyond the potential date for the next general election.
Burnham, who aims to establish this northern base as a key component of his leadership approach, stated his intention to spend time at 'No10 North' to promote a "new drive around taking power out of Westminster" and foster growth across the country. He envisions the location as a "North Pole" to extend the Downing Street operation and ensure power is more balanced.
However, the plan has encountered local opposition. Residents have voiced concerns about the proposed design, describing it as "dull architecture" and warning of potential issues with parking and "overcrowding" in the area. Specific feedback included criticisms of "great big massive blank wall facing the 'new park'" and buildings that are too tall and would dominate the existing landscape.
Security arrangements for such a facility also present a significant challenge. Experts have noted that replicating the security measures of the real Downing Street, which is a heavily guarded, publicly inaccessible zone protected by armed police, would be extremely costly, potentially running into tens of millions of pounds annually. Questions have also been raised about which police force would have primacy over the Prime Minister's protection and the logistical complexities of operating secure communications and coordinating emergency meetings like COBRA when physically distant from Whitehall.
Some government insiders have expressed skepticism about the viability of such projects, predicting they could become debacles similar to past attempts to move central government functions out of London, potentially leading to increased costs without proportional increases in productivity. There is also a stated concern from the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister that efforts to spread power must not solely result in hiring more officials at taxpayer expense, emphasizing the need for significant downsizing of existing Whitehall departments.