A groundbreaking ceremony has taken place for a new Ministry of Defence (MOD) office within the Talbot Gateway redevelopment in Blackpool.

The regeneration programme sees Blackpool Council working with development partner Muse Places and construction company VINCI Building on the new 53,000 sq ft MoD building which will hold up to 1,100 staff from Defence Business Services (DBS).

As MOD’s shared services organisation, DBS provides corporate services across the information and technology, finance, procurement and people function to the whole of defence, including serving military, veterans and civilian staff, as well as other government departments.

The move from a leased site within the local area concludes the consolidation of DBS’ North-west estate into a single, purpose-built office owned by the MOD, securing future jobs and saving the taxpayer money long term.

Representatives from DBS signed the contract for the new building on 31 March this year, with them coming together recently at a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction. 

The DBS project is being delivered under the MOD’s Defence Estate Optimisation portfolio, which is investing £5.1bn in a more modern and sustainable defence estate.

This includes new and refurbished military accommodation and housing for more than 40,000 service personnel and their families, as well as technical, training and office space for over 64,000 personnel, including civilian staff.

Construction will be managed on behalf of the MOD by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, working closely with Blackpool Council, development partner Muse Places, main contractor VINCI Building and DBS. 

The building is scheduled for completion in 2027.

Alan McBride, technical director at Muse, said: “It’s great to see work commencing on phase five of Talbot Gateway’s regeneration. This future-proofed, sustainable workspace for the Civil Service will bring increased footfall into the town centre, spur further economic growth in the heart of Blackpool, and build on the momentum we’ve generated alongside our long-standing partners, Blackpool Council, for more than 15 years.”