Tiverton school rebuild faces long road to completion

Concerns about timelines and community expectations have been raised following recent announcements about the school’s inclusion in the government’s School Rebuilding Programme (SRP).

Councillor Rebecca Clarke initiated the discussion, highlighting public confusion about the timeline for the project. "There's been a lot in the local press about plans for a new Tiverton High School," Cllr Clarke stated. "Can you explain where we are from a Devon County Council position as many people believe it's going to happen next year?"

Devon County Council member Councillor Colin Slade clarified the situation, saying the programme's phased nature and extended timeline.

"I can only update on what I know from previous experience," Cllr Slade said. "We were informed about a year ago, and the high school was informed that it was in phase two of the School Rebuilding Programme. Nothing has changed. Tiverton High School remains in phase two."

Cllr Slade detailed the required procedural steps, underscoring that construction would not begin for several years. "The consultation on that starts next year around April. You may have seen talk about the diggers moving in during April, but that won't happen. The phase two consultation period starts next April, and the Department for Education leads it. They will do much work on that—lots of interrogations and calculations."

The councillor further explained that decisions about the extent of the work—whether a full rebuild or more limited repairs—would depend on the outcomes of the consultation process. "We're not likely to see anything happen on the ground, as it were, until about 2027 or 2028," he added.

Cllr Slade credited Devon County Council and local representatives for their prior efforts to secure the project’s inclusion in the SRP but reiterated that tangible progress was still years away.

The inclusion of Tiverton High School in the SRP’s Group Two status had been confirmed earlier by Rachel Gilmour, MP for Tiverton and Minehead. In a letter to Education Secretary Bridger Phillipson dated November 20, Mrs Gilmour praised the allocation of funding for the project, describing it as vital for the school, which has been identified by the Environment Agency as being in "imminent danger of flooding" and faces challenges with ageing infrastructure and asbestos concerns.

"Infrastructure in educational establishments such as Tiverton High School is in desperate need of not just a refresh but a complete rebuild," Mrs Gilmour stated.

She stressed the importance of expediting the funding and work timeline. "Group Two status for Tiverton High School means that work will commence in April of 2025 at the earliest, and I would urge you and your Department to make every effort to allow the allocation of Group Two funding to Tiverton High School at the earliest time in the Group Two schedule."