A government department 'hub' creating 400 jobs is set to open in Manchester city centre.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced it is opening the office as part of Levelling Up plans.
Located in Marble Street, it will be the largest DCMS hub outside London, in a move away from 'London-centric decision making'.
The Manchester HQ will contain the head office for Building Digital UK (BDUK).
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BDUK is behind Project Gigabit, the government’s £5 billion plan to roll out faster broadband to hard-to-reach and rural areas and deliver gigabit-capable connections to 85 per cent of UK homes by 2025.
This Manchester HQ creation comes as part of government plans to relocate 22,000 civil service roles out of London by 2030.
Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh, Loughborough and Darlington, are also set to benefit from these plans, with 200 jobs to be created at an 'Economic Campus' in Darlington.
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: "The days of London-centric decision making belong in the past. It’s an exciting time for DCMS as we expand our regional offices and tap into a more diverse talent pool.
"Our strength comes from our people and this will allow us to recruit the best, wherever they may be, to deliver the wide range of DCMS policies which drive growth and enrich lives all over the UK."
MIDAS, Greater Manchester’s inward investment agency, helped advise on the relocation.
The news has been welcomed by leaders across Greater Manchester.
Councillor Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “This is welcome news. Not only is it a reflection of Manchester's role as a northern epicentre for culture, media and sport - and our thriving and fast-growing tech sector - it is also move which should help stimulate further innovation and investment in the city and beyond.
"The city is at the heart of a huge and diverse talent pool and tapping into will benefit the Government as well as bringing hundreds of jobs and other opportunities here.
“Government must not be concentrated in the capital and having more decision-makers based in the north should help bring a different perspective. Our door is always open to discuss further such relocations.”
Councillor Martyn Cox, Greater Manchester Combined Authority's lead for Culture, said: "A new DCMS office in the centre of Greater Manchester will create hundreds of good quality jobs in the city-region for our residents.
"The city-region is the fastest-growing digital and tech hub in Europe, and Greater Manchester is a great fit for the new Building Digital HQ.
"This is also a step in the right direction of redirecting decision-making from London to our regions."
Tim Newns, Chief Executive of MIDAS, said: "We’re incredibly excited about DCMS establishing its primary base outside London in Manchester, one of Europe’s leading digital cities.
"Digital has never been more important as a primary driver of growth across both Greater Manchester and the UK’s key industry sectors.
"However, DCMS also reflects other critical industries to Greater Manchester including Culture, Media and Sport, all of which we excel in and are the cornerstone of the Greater Manchester Strategy and Economic Vision."
