Glasgow Regional Centre formally opens

HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) Glasgow Regional Centre and UK Government hub was formally opened by Jim Harra, HMRC’s First Permanent Secretary and Chief Executive on 6 June 2022.

The state-of-the-art building at 1 Atlantic Square, which also accommodates the Cabinet Office’s second Headquarters, is currently home to about 2,600 HMRC and around 270 Cabinet Office full time equivalent (FTE) roles. By 2025, more than 3,500 FTE civil servants will be based at 1 Atlantic Square.

Civil servants began moving into the premises on 11 April 2022. Spread across nine floors, the modern and inclusive working environment will enable collaborative working.

Jim Harra, who cut the ribbon at the opening, was joined by Sarah Harrison, Chief Operating Officer for the Cabinet Office. Also attending the event were Brian Redford, HMRC Senior Lead for the Glasgow Region, and Colin Cassé, HMRC’s Estates and Locations Director.

Jim Harra, HMRC’s Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary, said:

“I am delighted to mark the opening of our Glasgow Regional Centre and UK Government hub at 1 Atlantic Square.

“This development is an important part of HMRC’s transformation into a modern and digitally-advanced tax authority and cements our position as an important contributor to the economy and communities in and around Glasgow.

“The inclusive and flexible working environment has brought our people together and will create greater opportunities for collaboration to make it easier to deliver great services to our customers.”

HMRC also has a regional centre in Edinburgh and a specialist site at Gartcosh. Earlier this year, the department announced they would retain a long-term presence in East Kilbride, which will become Phase 2 of the Glasgow Regional Centre.

Notes for Editors

1. HMRC’s locations strategy, announced in 2015, is key to enabling its wider transformation. It also supports the UK Government’s Places for Growth Programme to promote growth and jobs, by creating opportunities and career paths in towns and cities across the UK.
2. HMRC’s vision is to be a trusted, modern tax and customs department. HMRC’s Locations Strategy is supporting this by delivering and maintaining modern inclusive, flexible environments, improved technology enabling HMRC to work differently, in a smarter way. It will be based in 14 regional centres serving every country and region of the UK, 2 of which are in Scotland, and 5 specialist sites, of which one of these is in Scotland. HMRC opened its first regional centre in Croydon in 2017.
3. Moving to regional centres will save around £300 million cumulatively up to financial year 2025 to 2026 and will deliver annual cash savings of £74 million in financial year 2025 to 2026.
4. 1 Atlantic Square is Phase 1 of HMRC’s Glasgow Regional Centre. The second phase of the regional centre will be in East Kilbride. The location of the East Kilbride site will be announced later this year.
5. HMRC’s other regional centre locations are Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Portsmouth and Stratford.
6. Follow HMRC’s press office on Twitter @HMRCpressoffice.