Time capsule buried by local school to ‘capture moment’ in Winnall’s history
Time capsule buried by local school to ‘capture moment’ in Winnall’s history
A time capsule to capture a moment in the history of Winnall has been buried by Winnall Primary School and members of the local community following a project led by Wates, alongside the Winchester Historical Association.
The Mayor of Winchester, Derek Green, as well as Councillor Paula Ferguson and Housing Development and Strategy Manager, Paul Rowland, from Winchester City Council, joined students, teachers, Winchester Historical Association and Wates to mark the burial and showcase the items chosen to go into the capsule.
Around 240 pupils from Winnall Primary School were involved in the project, with 12 attending the event to help bury the time capsule. Submissions from the students included story books, drawings, year group photos, scripts from school plays, small toys and pieces of work, with Wates contributing a variety of items – from site plans to meeting minutes – that will show the progress made in working with the Council to regenerate the area. Winchester Historical Association has noted the time capsule coordinates, so that future generations can discover this moment in history in years to come. The event was catered by local social enterprise, Munch CIC.
Delivering crucial housing and wider benefits for local people
In 2020, Wates was appointed by Winchester City Council to deliver 76 high-quality new homes for the local community.
The scheme will be in keeping with the surrounding landscape, as well as minimise carbon emissions and promote renewable energy and water efficiency as the Council targets carbon neutrality for the area by the end of the decade.
The homes, which are currently at groundworks, will be built to Passivhaus low energy and AECB standards, designed to have such a low heating demand that no conventional heating systems are required and there will be a 41% reduction in energy use and carbon emissions across the scheme.
The project promises to not only deliver crucial housing, but also wider benefits for local people, with Wates making a joint pledge with the Council to provide education, employment and training opportunities for local people.
Wates has committed to provide at least 10 work experience placements and five apprenticeship opportunities. Alongside this, it is supporting the Council with Hampshire’s county-wide Hampshire Futures programme, a free week long course which is helping the long-term unemployed back into work by providing a free Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) card, alongside construction training, knowledge, experience and job seeking support.
Today was an uplifting occasion and it was fantastic to see so many members of our younger community fascinated by the time capsule. Winnall is a hugely important community for us and the burying of this time capsule marks a key point in its development. We’re continuing to invest in the area, building much needed new affordable homes for residents. We’re delighted to be working alongside Wates to ensure the opportunities this sustainable development brings around education and employment also bring benefits for Winchester.”
Cllr Ferguson
Winchester City Council
“The Winnall scheme is about creating a lasting legacy for the local area and burying this time capsule was symbolic of this. It was also an opportunity for us to capture a moment in the community’s history as we support its growth and prosperity long into the future. Not only will this development see high-quality, green homes and improved outdoor spaces built for local people, we hope to create greater economic opportunities by investing in local people through education, skills and training.”
Lee Bushell
Operations Director, at Wates Residential
