The City of Wolverhampton Council has secured a deal to house the first ministerial department outside of London at the city’s new i9 office building.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will make the building its joint headquarters when construction is completed later this year.

The finished development will provide up to 50,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, which has potential for 5,600 sq ft of retail or leisure space.

Cllr Stephen Simkins, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for City Economy, said: “This is a huge vote of confidence in the City of Wolverhampton. The Council has worked hard to make this happen and we are delighted that our city has been chosen to host this historic move away from Whitehall. 

“It’s also a big endorsement of the Council’s ambitious plans to invest in – and develop – a new multi million pound commercial district in the heart of the city centre, right next to our new, award winning railway station with its excellent connections to London, Birmingham and Manchester.

i9 is located at the heart of Wolverhampton’s new £150m Interchange and is ideally placed to benefit from HS2. The finished development will provide up to 50,000 sq ft of Grade A office space, which has potential for 5,600 sq ft of retail or leisure space.

MHCLG will take up the ground and fourth floors, housing hundreds of staff, including ministers and senior civil servants, with the Council currently supporting MHCLG with recruitment for new vacancies.

Robert Jenrick, Communities Secretary, said: “We are already recruiting in Wolverhampton and over time this move will bring hundreds of jobs and exciting careers in the UK Civil Service to the city and the West Midlands. I look forward to welcoming staff to our new headquarters and as a Wulfrunian myself, will be working from the office as often as I can and enjoying the city once again.”

Contractors GRAHAM are progressing works and the building is planned for completion this summer.