The Government Property Agency (GPA) has closed another two London properties, moving a step closer to its target of £32 million cost savings this year.
The Government Property Agency (GPA) has closed the doors at another two London properties as part of its estates rationalisation programme, moving a step closer to its target of £32 million cost savings this financial year.
Windsor House and Albany House closed in September and November 2024 respectively, with civil servants relocated to other properties on the existing government office estate.
The closures are part of the Whitehall Campus Programme, which aims to reduce the central London estate by 55% and create a campus of high-quality, shared workspaces that enable smarter working and provide better value for money.
This news follows the landmark closure of 1 Victoria Street in London, in January last year , which has started to generate substantial savings of approximately £30 million in annual running costs and around £300 million 20-year Net Present Value (NPV).
Through the Windsor House closure the GPA were able to relocate 1,200 civil servants from Homes England, Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service, National Savings and Investments and the Office of Manpower Economics to other locations across the existing government estate. Around 500 civil servants were relocated from Albany House.
Rupert Palmer, Deputy Director, Capital Projects - London, Whitehall Campus Programme said:
The decision to exit the lease on Albany House comes after the closure of Windsor House and the announcement of the planned exit in 2026 of Caxton House. Our collaboration with clients continues to enable us to make significant savings for the Civil Service.
As part of the Whitehall Campus Programme we will see a reduction from 84 buildings to around 20 buildings across London, which is currently planned to accommodate 40,000 civil servants by 2030. It will also release more than 312,000 square metres of space - the equivalent of around 44 football pitches.
