The Information Commissioner's Office will move its head office out of Wilmslow next year.
The ICO's head office has been in Wilmslow since its foundation forty years ago. It has grown from a small organisation of ten people, headed by a Data Protection Registrar in 1984, to one with more than 500 staff based across offices in Wilmslow, Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff, headed by an Information Commissioner.
The ICO will relocate its head office to Manchester in autumn 2026. They will be moving to the Circle Square development on Oxford Road.
The company says the decision to move follows a detailed review of options, ahead of the upcoming expiration of the lease on our current office at Wycliffe House, where most of their staff are based.
Jen Green, Executive Director – Strategy and Resources said: "Our relocation to Circle Square will create a working environment that better supports how we operate now and into the future. The new space will provide a more flexible, collaborative setting for our teams, with improved access to the facilities and connections we need.
"Wilmslow has been a welcome home for the ICO for 40 years, and we will continue to have a small presence in the area beyond next year. Moving to Manchester puts us close to universities and other organisations working in data and digital, and will also support our efforts to attract new and diverse talent and strengthen the way we engage with the wider sector."
