14 government buildings closed in the past year, as savings for the taxpayer reach over £43 million

• Fourteen government buildings have been closed in the past year as part of steps to make the Government estate more efficient and save the taxpayer £43.1 million.
• The number of government buildings in London has now been decreased to 28, down from 79 in 2017.
• Major milestones have also been reached with delivery of the new Darlington Economic Campus, and the opening of the London headquarters for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Fourteen government buildings were closed last year, contributing to savings across the government estate of £43.1 million in the past year.

The Government Property Agency’s (GPA) Annual Report and Accounts (ARA) for 2025/26, published today, shows four of these buildings were in the capital as the Plan for London progresses. The programme has secured £17.5 million in annual savings through these closures, procurement negotiations and Net Zero initiatives. The number of government buildings in the city now stands at 28, compared to 79 in 2017.

The other closures were located across the UK, including in cities such as Leeds, Cardiff and Leicester. 

Cabinet Office Minister Anna Turley said:

“By reducing our reliance on inefficient London offices, we are creating a leaner, fairer government estate that belongs to the whole country.

“We have reshaped our estate to drive economic growth in every region, ensuring a career in the Civil Service is accessible to talent right across the UK, not just within Whitehall.”

Mark Bourgeois, CEO at the GPA, said:

“We are pleased to publish our Annual Report and Accounts for 2025/26, which was a year of further stabilisation at the GPA, where we continued to evolve to ensure better delivery for our clients and the taxpayer, while strengthening our operating model and leadership.

“Throughout the year, we secured notable benefits across our portfolio and for the government – evidenced by the opening of the 26 Whitehall Government Hub, closure of 14 offices and further implementation of property technology - ensuring civil servants have access to more digitally-enabled offices. 

“We now look forward to building on these achievements throughout 2026/27, ensuring we continue to support the government’s missions and achieve our aim to create a smaller, better and greener office estate.” 

The GPA has also secured £25.4 million in commercial savings in the past year, via re-procurements and negotiations with contractors. This surpassed our £20 million target.

A further £232,000 was saved by the GPA in 2025/26 through its Net Zero and Lifecycle Replacement Programmes, which delivered 220 projects across the entire government estate. This included the installation of nearly 1,400 solar panels at five Civil Service offices – helping to save 550 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year.

The GPA further signalled its commitment to the government’s Plan for Change in 2025/26 by finding and securing Great British Energy’s headquarters in Aberdeen.

On top of this, the agency has continued to deliver for departmental partners throughout the financial year and have reached its target to open a new Government Hub, as the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology moved into 26 Whitehall.

A major milestone was also reached in the delivery of the new Darlington Economic Campus (DEC), as construction works began at Brunswick Street, marked by a breaking ground ceremony attended by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, and Cabinet Office Minister Anna Turley.

Meanwhile, plans to create a new workspace for approximately 8,800 government staff took a step closer as the Outline Business Case for Manchester Digital Campus (MDC) was formally approved by the Treasury.