THE Department for Work and Pensions confirmed in March that its offices based at Hilden House, near the Golden Gates, would be set for future closure.

Now, the DWP has confirmed the new location of its Warrington office.

Warrington Guardian: It was announced in March that the offices at Hilden House would be closing in the future. Picture: Google MapsIt was announced in March that the offices at Hilden House would be closing in the future. Picture: Google Maps (Image: Maps)

 

The Base, on Dallam Lane, will be the new home of the Department of Work and Pensions in Warrington.

Dallam Lane's site is described online as 'a Grade-A office and co-working space in the centre of Warrington that’s home to many market-leading digital technology and advanced engineering companies.'

However, The Base does not have onsite parking for staff, meaning that employees of the DWP who will drive into the site will need to pay for parking at a nearby car park.

The nearest car park to The Base is on Winwick Street and costs £2.50 to park all day - meaning that full-time office staff will pay £50 per month for parking if they choose to drive into work.

When asked by the Warrington Guardian about the provision for staff parking, a DWP spokesperson said: "When considering planning moves from one location to another, the Department uses postcode mapping and calculates average travel times by car and public transport.

"Should the move mean additional travel costs, colleagues may qualify for an Excess Fares payment to cover those costs.

"These costs will be paid for up to three years.

"This does not include car parking costs."

The old office, at Hilden House, announced it intended to close earlier this year, as the DWP decided to close more than 40 sites in the UK, putting over 1,000 jobs in question.

At the time, a government minister said that some 12,000 members of staff across the country would be moving from one site to another - the minister also said that around 1,300 members of staff may be affected where another site may not be available.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said in March that the future closure of the sites was a cause for concern.

Warrington's Department for Work and Pensions office is set to move to the new site at The Base on Dallam Lane in the near future.