Stratford Regional Centre formally opens

HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) regional centre and Government hub at 14 Westfield Avenue, Stratford was formally opened by Chief Executive Jim Harra on Wednesday (4 May 2022).

The state-of-the-art building, home to around 5,200 HMRC employees, allows HMRC to work in more collaborative ways and provides a modern and inclusive working environment. During the pandemic, HMRC employees who were unable to undertake their roles from home, have been working from the building since March 2021. However, COVID restrictions meant that most employees have only recently been able to use the building regularly. The official opening was also delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In addition to the formal opening, Richard Las, HMRC’s senior leader for Stratford, and the Reverend Sophia Acland also led tributes to members of staff former employees who had lost their lives in public service and dedicated a memorial in the building’s reception. A wreath was laid on behalf of the department and a one-minute silence held.

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

“I am delighted to finally mark the opening of our Stratford Regional Centre and Government hub.

“The state-of-the-art building is a modern, inclusive and flexible working environment that will bring our people together and create greater opportunities for collaboration between teams making it easier to deliver great services to our customers.

“Today, we also remember colleagues who lost their lives in public service. Their hard work and commitment to HMRC, its predecessor departments and the civil service will not be forgotten.”

Stratford Regional Centre is part of a transformation programme that will deliver modern, inclusive, flexible environments with improved technology, enabling HMRC become one of the most digitally advanced tax authorities in the world.

Notes for Editors

1. HMRC’s locations strategy, announced in 2015, is key to enabling its wider transformation. It also supports the 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. 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. HMRC made an announcement in November 2015 about the location of all the regional centres.
5. The Reverend Sophia Acland was invited to dedicate the memorial in recognition of the connection between HMRC and the church of All Hallows by the Tower. Every year the church remembers Peter Bennett, one of the fallen colleagues, on the anniversary of his death and the glass entrance doors to the church are dedicated to his memory.
6. Follow HMRC’s press office on Twitter @HMRCpressoffice.