Jobs boost in city’s fight to be Ministry of Justice headquarters
Jun 22 2009 by Paul Dale, Birmingham Post
The number of jobs likely to be created if a new regional headquarters for the Ministry of Justice is built in Birmingham has increased to 6,000.
City leaders initially thought the maximum figure would be 2,500 but the latest estimate has given fresh impetus to the battle to secure what would be one of the largest government department relocations from London.
It has emerged that city council leader Mike Whitby met government officials and Ministers last week to put Birmingham’s case as the best choice for the new office complex.
He is being helped in his lobbying efforts by former city council chief executive Sir Michael Lyons.
Sir Michael, now chairman of the BBC Trust, wrote an influential report for the government in 2003 which recommended relocating some of Whitehall’s major departments from London to cities like Birmingham.
He argued that the employment opportunities generated by moving out of the capital would provide a massive economic boost to the regions.
Last year the MoJ approached Birmingham and three other cities asking them to bid for a 250,000 sq ft office block which would open in 2013.
It was thought at first that the project would create a maximum 2,500 jobs in two phases.
But that figure has risen to 6,000 by 2017 as the MoJ seeks to cut more costs by moving out of central London.
The other cities in the race are believed to be Manchester, Leeds and Bristol.
Some existing MoJ staff would move from London to the new office but it is expected that most of the 6,000 jobs would be filled locally.
Coun Whitby (Con Harborne) said: “We have been asked to bid and I have been putting forward the name of Birmingham very strongly.
“We are a city with a great reputation for regeneration and for delivering major projects and I am confident that we will put a very good argument forward to the government. We have a very powerful case to suggest that this city is the ideal location.”
He hopes the involvement of Sir Michael Lyons will prove to be a trump card helping to deliver the project to Birmingham.
Coun Whitby added: “Sir Michael is a great friend of the city of Birmingham and he is highly regarded in London.”
