New Bristol Regional Centre formally opens for business

HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) regional centre in Bristol is officially open. Chief Executive Jim Harra declared the building open at an event held on location and through the unveiling of a plaque yesterday afternoon. (Tuesday 11 February).

3 Glass Wharf at Temple Quay is the second of 13 new regional centres to officially open across the UK, which are part of phase one of the Government Hubs programme.

Jim Harra visited 3 Glass Wharf with other members of HMRC’s executive committee to officially open the new building located in an area in close proximity to Temple Meads station which has been regenerated.

The modern, hi-tech building will be home to around 1,650 HMRC employees and will allow the department to work in new ways, delivering an effective service for customers and providing a modern and collaborative working environment for civil servants.

Work on 3 Glass Wharf started in 2016 and the Government Hub saw its first civil servants from HMRC and Cabinet Office move in on Monday 16 September 2019.

3 Glass Wharf is part of HMRC’s 10-year transformation programme to become one of the most digitally-advanced tax authorities in the world. By moving to the regional centres, HMRC will save more than £300 million by 2025 and make annual savings of about £90 million by 2026.

Jim Harra, Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary of HMRC, said

“I’m incredibly proud to be opening the Bristol Regional Centre.

“This building will be a great place to work and I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on Bristol and its local economy. It will bring teams together so they have the opportunity to work differently and more effectively, making HMRC a tax and customs administration fit for the future.”

Tim Bowles, West of England Mayor, said:

“The West of England is a great place to come and set up home; whether you’re a family, an innovative tech start-up or a major employer, like HMRC. We’ve got great connections to the rest of the country, talented people and brilliant places to live and work and our team at Invest Bristol and Bath can help make that move as simple as possible. That’s exactly what they did with helping HMRC move in to their state-of-the-art new regional centre and I’m very pleased that the pilot scheme that our team ran with HMRC has now been rolled out nationwide to help make their relocation programme a success.

“Having a mix of employers, from large to small, public and private sector is vital for our economy, and helps showcase the West of England’s fabulous offer to as wide an audience as possible.”

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said:

“We are delighted to see another major employer open a base in the city and, following the recent arrival of Channel Four, it’s another example of Bristol’s ability to attract major employers and jobs.

“We look forward to the opportunity of working with HMRC to help them tap into the diverse range of talent available throughout this city to open up further job opportunities.’’

Notes for Editors

1. HMRC’s transformation is the biggest modernisation of the UK tax system in a generation. It involves making fundamental changes to the way the department works and the services it provides. HMRC’s ambition is to become one of the most digitally-advanced tax authorities in the world - becoming a more highly-skilled and flexible organisation, by making better use of technology and by working differently. It will be based in 13 Regional Centres serving every country and region of the UK. HMRC’s new location in Belfast, Erskine House also saw staff moving in in January 2020. By 2022 we will be based in Newcastle, Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Nottingham, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol, Stratford and Croydon. HMRC also opened its first regional centre in Croydon in 2017. 

2. The developer, Salmon Harvester Properties Ltd, completed the build phase of the new regional centre, which began in November 2016. They presented the then Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Mel Stride MP, with a ceremonial key at a ‘key-handover ceremony’ in February 2019 to mark the completion of 3 Glass Wharf’s construction, when its internal fit out commenced. 

3. HMRC made an announcement in November 2015 about the location of all the Regional Centres.

4. HMRC’s Flickr site www.flickr.com/hmrcgovuk

5. Follow HMRC’s press office on Twitter @HMRCpressoffice