Economy · Budget & tax · 2 November 2026
Civil Service moves 24,621 roles outside London
The Places for Growth programme has transferred 24,621 Civil Service roles outside London, exceeding its target three years early, the Cabinet Office announced. Four in five civil servants are now based outside the capital, with approximately 67% of new full-time positions located in key regional hubs.
The Cabinet Office has announced that the Places for Growth programme has successfully transferred 24,621 Civil Service roles outside of London. This development exceeds the original target of 22,000 roles by three years. The initiative aims to drive economic growth by moving government functions to regional hubs across the UK.
Four in five civil servants are now based outside the capital, according to figures published with the announcement. Approximately 67% of all new full-time Civil Service positions are situated in key regional locations. Cabinet Office Minister Mark Ferguson stated: "We are shifting power and decision making to local communities to ensure that we have a truly UK-wide Civil Service."
As of March 2026, 36.6% of UK-based Senior Civil Servants are now based out of London. The government is also posting Whitehall officials into mayors’ offices as part of a wider devolution strategy. These measures are designed to ensure that policy and decision makers reflect the communities they impact, unlocking talent across the country.
The programme has been active until March 2025 for the reported role transfers, with senior staff distribution data recorded as of March 2026. The announcement does not specify the exact regional hubs receiving the roles or the timeline for further transfers beyond the current targets.
Written by StreetOwl from Cabinet Office’s own announcement. It was drafted by StreetOwl’s own model, every figure and quotation was checked by code against the announcement, and it was read and approved by Michael Rossi before it went up. It says what was announced, not what anyone should do about it.
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