New, highly-skilled jobs are on the horizon after the Government announced it is set to open The Office for Place in Staffordshire.
The flagship office, which will be used as a base to develop housing strategy for the UK’s towns and cities, will be based in Stoke-on-Trent.
Civil servants as well as government ministers are expected to be based at the office, which will be used by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC). One of their roles will be to design plans for housing projects in 20 UK towns and cities as part of a major revamp. The exact location of the office and timings for the project have yet to be announced.
It follows news reported in Daily Focus in March that the Home Office had signed a lease for a 38,000 sq. ft office space at Two Smithfield, Hanley, to establish a Home Office hub, as part of plans to create 500 new jobs in the city.
Nicholas Boys Smith, who has been appointed Interim Chair of The Office for Place, said he was “delighted” about the move.
Mr Boys Smith, who was pictured with other Government representatives visiting the Spode site in Stoke recently, said: “This week is an important milestone in our journey to create and steward more beautiful and more popular, greener and more sustainable places.
“The Office for Place is moving from being a small team within DLUHC to a formal and legally constituted arm’s length body.
“And we can announce that we will be based in the marvellous city of Stoke-on-Trent.
“I visited our new home in Stoke-on-Trent recently together with the advisory board. We met with the City Director Jon Rouse and Council Leader Jane Ashworth.
“Both spoke proudly and passionately about the opportunities for their city and the residents, but also about the social and economic challenges they face.
“We are excited about the prospect of supporting our new hometown of Stoke-on-Trent, and in doing so helping local councils and communities across the country create beautiful, successful and enduring places that re-engender a sense of community, local pride and belonging.”
Sara Williams, Chief Executive of Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce said: “For a city whose goods have been based on home creation forever – every new home needs tiles, crockery and building materials – having The Office of Place based here is very fitting.
“And we can offer real examples of what works in communities and what needs to change. I hope that we are also one of the 20 places that will be supercharged and benefit from the expertise – and I suspect that those working here will also have new demands on our housing provision too.”
Councillor Jane Ashworth, Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, pictured above, also welcomed the announcement of The Office for Place establishing in the city.
She said: “We are delighted that the Office for Place is going to be based in Stoke-on-Trent. We are a city with an extraordinary built heritage and an exciting future. We will only benefit from having the office based in the city and will give them every support as they pursue excellence in urban design and place-making that engenders local pride and connectedness.”
