UK’s Data Regulator Commits to Manchester’s Circle Square in Landmark HQ Move

The UK’s independent data protection and freedom of information regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), is set to relocate its headquarters to Manchester city centre, having agreed a lease for 20,000 sq ft of high-quality workspace at Bruntwood SciTech’s No.3 Circle Square.

A landmark development at the heart of the city’s knowledge quarter, the £87 million, 267,000 sq ft innovation hub is the latest phase of the Circle Square neighbourhood to be brought forward. The building is being delivered by Bruntwood SciTech, the UK’s largest property platform dedicated to the growth of the innovation, tech, and science sectors, in a joint venture between Bruntwood, L&G and Greater Manchester Pension Fund.

The ICO plays a vital role in empowering people through information. The move from the regulator’s base which it has held since being founded, in Wilmslow, Cheshire, will see it establish its new national headquarters within the 15-storey development. The ICO expects to move to Manchester in autumn 2026.

Relocating to the Oxford Road Corridor places the regulator at the heart of one of Europe’s most dynamic knowledge quarters, offering direct access to Manchester’s world-leading universities, a highly skilled graduate talent pool, and a vibrant urban environment. The move supports the organisation’s ambition to access a broader and more diverse talent pool, enabled by Manchester’s excellent connectivity and position at the heart of a vibrant, tech-driven community at Circle Square. Alongside its flexible floorplates, No.3 Circle Square has been designed to promote collaboration, support flexible ways of working, and enhance employee wellbeing.

The ICO’s arrival at this growing community follows a series of significant moves that continue to drive momentum. This includes global sportswear brand PUMA, which is relocating its UK headquarters to No.3 Circle Square, and Auto Trader, the UK’s largest digital automotive marketplace, which has committed to seven floors within the same building.

It joins an established cluster of innovation-led businesses already based at Circle Square, including Avalere Health, Roku, BlueSkeye AI, and HP Enterprise, as well as those located in the dedicated startup Tech Incubator – all contributing to a thriving ecosystem of technology, health, digital and creative leaders. This growing collective of global brands, scale-ups and pioneering start-ups reflects Circle Square’s position as one of the UK’s most vibrant and collaborative destinations for innovation.

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