The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has delayed a move to Glasgow and will stay in East Kilbride for longer than planned, The Herald has learned.
South Lanarkshire Council bosses were left stunned last year when the department announced that around 1,000 civil servants would be relocated to Scotland's biggest city before the end of 2025.
However, Joe Fagan, the leader of the Labour-run council has been told that the FDCO will now remain in East Kilbride’s Abercrombie House.
There is some confusion over when the Foreign Office's move will take place.
The 1,760 civil servants from HMRC who were due to move into the FCDO building when their colleagues left have been told they will stay in their current office in Queensway House until 2031.
However, Glasgow City Council has been told the exit has only been pushed back until 2026.
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It is not immediately clear why the move has been delayed, but the news comes just weeks after the new Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a series of efficiencies in a bid to tackle a £22bn “black hole” in public finances.
“If we cannot afford it, we cannot do it,” she told MPs.
Cllr Fagan told The Herald: “Obviously having both FCDO and HMRC staff based at the town for longer is good news for our local economy, as well as for the many people who work in those offices and live in East Kilbride.
“But I am further heartened by a further assurance that I have been given by the HMRC Chief Executive that they have a long-term commitment to the town, and that they will use their additional time in Queensway House to reconsider the merits of all the options in East Kilbride.
“In return, I commit the council to working with not only HMRC but all parts of government as they consider their future needs and locations. East Kilbride is already an established, welcoming home to different parts of the civil service and I am convinced we can build on that.”
Susan Aitken, the leader of SNP-run Glasgow Council told The Herald: “Glasgow is an increasingly in demand location for corporate HQs. Grade A office space is being fully let as fast as it can be built.
"This timing doesn’t reflect the conversations we’ve had with FCDO but the city has everything they need regardless of when they make the move.”
An HMRC spokesperson said: “On Wednesday 14 August, HMRC colleagues working in East Kilbride were informed that we will be staying in Queensway House for longer than planned. As announced in January 2022, HMRC remains committed to a long-term presence in East Kilbride.
“The FCDO needs more time before moving from Abercrombie House. This enables HMRC to consider all the options for our future location in the town and secure the best value for the taxpayer.”
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