City of Wolverhampton Council

OVERVIEW

DragonGate has been working with West Midlands and the City of Wolverhampton Council for several years and through several governments and Civil Service relocation agendas. In 2020, we were commissioned to to support efforts to secure a Whitehall relocation to Wolverhampton.

EXERPTS

Our work with Wolverhampton served to highlight how cities of its size had been ignored by government over the past decade as high-paid, white-collar Civil Service roles were increasingly concentrated in prosperous regional capitals. Working with Wolverhampton we wanted to demonstrate the value of smaller cities – not only that they can provide the relevant skills and accommodation, but that Wolverhampton’s unique industry strengths enabled for Civil Servants to work alongside the industries they regulate, rather than simply exchanging one metropolitan city centre for another. Furthermore, we demonstrated how a relocation to Wolverhampton could contribute to a wider regional network.

Lastly it was necessary to demonstrate the return on investment Government would secure through its move, for example the potential impact on local salaries (as below), among other metrics.

OUTPUTS AND OUTCOMES

The following outputs were delivered in a short timescale:

• Demand analysis on which Government agencies would be the most relevant to engage with based on Wolverhampton’s strengths, plans and regional USPs
• Evidence base for Government investment
• Proposition to take to Government focussing on skills, infrastructure, and connectivity
• Strategic communications presentation
• Three months after our commission, on 20th February 2021, MHCLG commits to:
  • A second HQ in Wolverhampton
  • At least 500 posts relocated there by 2025
  • 50% of the department’s senior roles relocated from London by 2030

IN THE NEWS

MHCLG move to West Midlands mooted – The Local Government Chronicle

Ministers make historic move out of London as they relocate part of Whitehall to Wolverhampton – i News

MHCLG confirms details of its new Wolverhampton HQ – Civil Service World

“Working with DragonGate has been a pleasure throughout. Throughout the process, their subject-matter expertise has been essential to crafting a bespoke offer and vision for Wolverhampton that leverages local strengths and aligns these with national challenges with DragonGate demonstrating an understanding of Wolverhampton’s ambition, regeneration pipeline and offer on a regional and national basis. Beyond helping us secure the relocation of 500 civil servants from MHCLG, they have been essential in further honing our offer to maximise the opportunity for government and local partners alike.”

Liam Davies, Head of City Development, City of Wolverhampton Council