Establishment of Defence Business Services in Thornton-Cleveleys

The Defence Business Services (DBS) building in Thornton-Cleveleys, known as Tomlinson House, does not begin life as a single-purpose structure. Instead, it evolves from a cluster of existing facilities on the Norcross site, an area long associated with government offices. The organisation itself is formally established on 4 July 2011, when the Ministry of Defence merges several of its executive agencies into a single service provider. DBS provides a centralised hub for corporate services across the MOD, supporting serving personnel, veterans, their families and the department’s civil servants. From its base at Tomlinson House, Norcross, Lancashire, the facility handles human resources, finance, pension administration and casework that ensures continuity of support to the armed forces community. Its full address — Tomlinson House, Norcross, Thornton-Cleveleys, FY5 3WP — becomes one of the most significant MOD contact points outside London.

Within DBS, Veterans UK plays a key role in administering pensions, compensation schemes and welfare support for former service members. It maintains a direct presence at Tomlinson House, accessible through dedicated contact services for veterans and their families. The site also hosts specialist teams including the Finance Division and the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, the latter responsible for notifying families of casualties and providing urgent support in times of crisis. The choice of Norcross as a base reflects the continuity of central government functions in the area. For decades, the site has housed large office complexes serving a range of public sector organisations, providing employment to local communities around Blackpool, Fleetwood and the wider Fylde coast. The creation of DBS consolidates this legacy into a modern role, ensuring that administrative and welfare services for the armed forces are delivered from a single, coordinated platform.

However, the future of the Norcross MOD presence is now closely linked to the major new Ministry of Defence office development beside Blackpool North railway station. The six-storey government complex, currently under construction as part of the Talbot Gateway regeneration scheme, is expected to open during 2027 and will accommodate around 1,100 Defence Business Services employees. The project is intended to consolidate MOD operations from existing Fylde coast facilities, including staff currently based at Tomlinson House and the wider Norcross site, into a modern purpose-built headquarters in Blackpool town centre. The relocation represents one of the most significant shifts in government employment on the Fylde coast in decades and forms part of wider regeneration efforts designed to strengthen Blackpool’s year-round economy.

Tomlinson House is therefore both a local landmark in Cleveleys and a national point of contact, connecting the town to the lives of thousands of military personnel and veterans across the United Kingdom and overseas. As preparations continue for the eventual transition to the new Blackpool North office, the Norcross site marks the closing chapter of a long era of civil service administration in Thornton-Cleveleys while helping shape a new government quarter emerging in the centre of Blackpool.