Labour pledges £1.2bn to repair Exeter’s public services

Exeter is set to benefit from a wave of investment in public services, with multi-million-pound repairs confirmed for schools and hospitals across the city.

Newtown Primary School and St Gabriel’s Church of England Primary School will receive funding through the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF), part of a £470 million national package to tackle long-overdue maintenance in schools - including replacing dangerous asbestos and fixing structural issues.

The funding forms part of Labour’s wider Plan for Change, which also includes £750 million for hospital maintenance across the country.

In Exeter, the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is receiving £5.412 million, with a further £300,000 allocated to Devon Partnership NHS Trust.

Local MP Steve Race welcomed the investment, saying it was a much-needed step in turning around public infrastructure after “years of Tory neglect.”

“Parents in Exeter remember the RAAC crisis and the fear that children weren’t even safe in their own classrooms,” he said. “This is about fixing the foundations, literally and politically, and giving young people the safe, warm learning environments they deserve.”

Maintenance works at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Wonford House, The Cedars and Franklyn House are set to begin from this summer, with the aim of reducing disruption to patient care.

In 2023/24, more than 4,000 operations and appointments were cancelled nationally due to building issues like faulty electrics and poor ventilation.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said Labour’s mission was about more than bricks and mortar. “It’s about showing children that their education matters and giving them the best possible start in life,” she said.

The school and hospital upgrades will be delivered during the 2025/26 financial year, with further investment expected as Labour accelerates its School Rebuilding Programme and continues wider NHS modernisation plans.