Artisan Real Estate Investors, the Isle of Man based partnership behind an award-winning development in Edinburgh, has welcomed the decision to create a new UK Government regional hub for the city in 2020.

The UK Government says it will take about 190,000 sq. ft. of Grade A office space at New Waverley, moving some 2,900 civil service jobs into the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town. This will include HMRC, which will run one of their 13 regional centres from New Waverley.

The new Government office hub will continue the momentum of New Waverley’s current development phase due for completion later this year, which will see high quality office space blend with restaurants, cafes and shops around a new public square.

Artisan’s £200 million, 7.5 acre mixed-use scheme seamlessly links Waverley Station with the city’s iconic Royal Mile, forming part of the Old Town’s UNESCO World Heritage site. During the last two years, New Waverley has delivered 400 hotel rooms, including two Whitbread hotels - a Premier Inn and a Hub by Premier Inn - and an Adagio Aparthotel overlooking the Royal Mile.

As well as completing 45 affordable homes, New Waverley has also delivered a row of 19 Victorian arches which has been transformed into a new artisan-based leisure café and specialised retail district for the city. Currently under development is a boutique hotel by Apple Apartments, and a further 148 new homes are also planned.

Artisan’s Isle of Man based CEO Jaco Jansen said: ’Bringing the UK Government hub right into the historic heart of the city is a ringing endorsement for what we are building here - not just for New Waverley, but for the city of Edinburgh and for Scotland.

’For New Waverley, it’s another significant step of our journey to restore life, vitality and energy to this very special part of Edinburgh’s historic city centre, and will be a natural fit for the exciting and vibrant mixed-use community we have created there.

’It sends out an important message that our city centres have the interest, value and capacity to attract investment from the very best employers, which sets an important precedent for Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland.’

He added: "People coming to work here will enjoy an unmatched working, leisure and living environment. On their doorstep will be one of Scotland’s major transport hubs as well as an eclectic mix of shops, hotels, cafes, bars, restaurants and homes in a location that reflects both the best of the city’s heritage and its future.

’They will find that New Waverley is a genuinely unique destination in which to work, live and enjoy time out. This is a transformational development of a UNESCO Heritage site, in one of the world’s most iconic yet delicate locations. It’s pioneering the future, whilst preserving the past, representing a blueprint for sensitive yet positive city-centre regeneration."

The New Waverley offices in which the Government hub will be based will be arranged across two linked buildings providing some 190,000 sq. ft. of space and offering the highest levels of sustainability and operational efficiency. Employees will benefit from modern, well-lit Grade A office space with added staff amenities including a landscaped roof area providing sweeping views across the Waverley Valley. Work on the office development is currently underway and is due to be completed in summer 2019.

How the proposed development in Edinburgh will look. An island based business is behind the development