June ended with a bang for Manchester. Andy Burnham, the presumptive next Prime Minister, announced that he will be creating a ‘No. 10 North’ when he gets into power. That’s about as big as office news gets and should be great news for the city.

It also means many businesses are likely to relocate here as the corridors of power extend to our city – so if you’re looking for a new office space in Manchester, this might be the time to make your next move.

And on top of that, plenty more happened in Manchester in June 2026, too:

• More exciting government news from Manchester Digital Campus on Great Ancoats Street
• Arcadis sign up at Island, sets new record rent
• Forviz Mazars moves to accommodate growing team
• Jones Hargreaves expands into a larger space
• HBD progresses new Colloco building

Government Property Agency makes progress on Great Ancoats Street

The Government Property Agency (GPA) has broken ground at the huge Manchester Digital Campus site on Great Ancoats Street. Planning permission was achieved in February 2025 for a new office development that will bring 7,000 Civil Service roles in Manchester from the Cabinet Office, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Department for Education and Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.

Plans have since been completed and the number of jobs coming to the site has increased to 8,800 roles. A significant milestone has now been reached with the commencement of groundworks on the site. It’s great news for Manchester and we can’t wait to see it take shape.

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:

“This is a significant moment for Manchester. Transforming this derelict site will support almost 9,000 government jobs being concentrated in Manchester and around 5,000 construction jobs.

“This investment by the Government in the future of Manchester, and Greater Manchester, will cement our growing global reputationas a hub for digital and cyber industries.”

Arcadis signs up at Island for 10 years and sets new record rent for Manchester

Built environment and engineering consultancy Arcadis has taken the first floor of Island on John Dalton Street and set a new record rent for Manchester office space in the process - £48 p/sqft over a total floor area of 10,000 sqft. The firm intends to move 350 employees into their new home who were previously spread out over two separate offices.

This is big news for Manchester and further confirmation that the city is a natural home for global businesses like Arcadis.

Rob Sale and Mike Richardson, Manchester office directors at Arcadis, said:

“As a global consultancy, it’s essential that our workplace reflects the same commitment to net zero, climate resilience and rigorous ESG standards that we deliver for our clients. Island’s smart infrastructure and integrated sustainability technologies will help us advance our ambitious environmental goals.”

Forviz Mazars upscales following impressive growth

Forviz Mazars has confirmed its upcoming move to the Aviary building later this year. The accountancy, audit and advisory firm is relocating from their previous space to a new 26,000 sqft office due to ongoing growth.

Steve Abbott, Manchester Office managing partner at Forvis Mazars in the UK, said:

“Our move to The Aviary is about creating a space that matches the ambition and energy of our Manchester team of over 400 people led by 20 partners. 

“This new office gives us room to grow, collaborate, and innovate at scale. The addition of an innovation lab means we can work side by side with clients to tackle their biggest challenges and unlock new opportunities for their businesses.” 

Jones Hargreaves triples desk space with move to 49 King Street

Another expansion in Manchester this month comes courtesy ofJones Hargreaves, a building and sustainability consultancy. They have announced their move from Bonded Warehouse to 49 King Street and will be tripling their desk space, from four to 12.

The move has been made to support the company’s growth in the region over the coming years as they aim to continue growing.

Partner and Manchester office lead, Nick Twigg, said:

“Since opening our Manchester office in 2022, we have seen sustained growth across the North West.

“Our move to larger premises reflects our long-term commitment to the region and provides the capacity to support further expansion of the team. The recently refurbished office offers a high quality working environment with excellent local amenities.”

HBD makes progress on new Colloco building

Colloco is an upcoming 16-storey office development in Manchester city centre from developer HBD. They achieved planning permission for the 200,000 sqft scheme in March 2024 and have now reached a new milestone.

A £23.7m loan from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority ‘Good Growth’ fund has been agreed to get the project moving. This is an exciting moment for Manchester’s office market which is crying out for new capacity.

When work starts on site, it will be only the second speculative office development in construction in Manchester. That makes Colloco a potentially important site for the city’s economic future.

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