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HM Revenue and Customs’ (HMRC) regional centre in Bristol is officially open, as part of the government’s programme to create hubs across the UK.
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.
HMRC chief executive 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, high-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.
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 has said it will save more than £300 million by 2025 and make annual savings of about £90 million by 2026.
“I’m incredibly proud to be opening the Bristol Regional Centre," Mr Harra said.
“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.”
The government efforts were also praised by Tim Bowles, West of England mayor.
“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,” he said.
"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.”