Time capsule leaves a legacy at Northstowe Sports Pavilion

Secondary school pupils buried a time capsule full of memorable objects to officially celebrate construction starting on Northstowe Phase One's Sports Pavilion.

The building’s steel frame was also signed by elected local stakeholders from the multi-agency Northstowe Delivery Group during the event on Tuesday 18 April.

Among items for future generations to discover in the time capsule, buried by Northstowe Secondary College students, were photographs, a running medal from Northstowe’s first running festival in 2021, the first issue of Northstowe News from winter 2018 and a ball with all the college sport leaders’ initials on it.

Cllr Bill Handley, Lead Cabinet member for Communities for South Cambridgeshire District Council, said: “We’re delighted that the pavilion building work is now well under way. This facility will provide a community focal point for sport, events, socialising, health and wellbeing. Ensuring high quality community facilities are provided at the town is really important to us at the council, and that is why we have provided additional funding to ensure the town gets the facilities needed.”

Paul Littlemore, deputy Mayor of Northstowe Town Council, said: “It is really exciting to see the progress on construction.  We are looking forward to seeing construction completed and the pavilion opening its doors to the community.”

The Sports Pavilion in Peppercorn Drive will serve the Western Park sport pitches, bowling green and the hard surface games area and will provide team and referee changing, a fully accessible changing places facility, and a large clubroom area and kitchen.

The Pavilion’s green design includes an air source heat pump to provide heating and hot water for the building plus solar panels on the roof. Construction of the building is expected to be complete by August.

Pentaco Construction were awarded the contract to build the sports pavilion and have the structural steel frame fully erected and the pre-insulated sheets installed. The beam and block floor is now complete with below floor drainage. Phase One of the carpark has drainage installed and the prepared base ready for tarmac. A large part of the programme is the brick and blockwork, now underway, so a big transformation will be noticed over the coming weeks.

Jon Wilson, Area Manager for Pentaco Construction (Cambridge) Ltd, said: “We are very pleased to have been appointed to build the Northstowe Sports Pavilion and to be part of the overall development of the area.  It is great to be able to celebrate, engage and share the excitement of this build with the local community”.

Northstowe’s District Councillors are Cllr Natalie Warren Green and Cllr Tom Bygott. 

Cllr Warren Green said: “‘As a keen sportsperson, I am due to run the Northstowe Half Marathon on 23 April, and I am personally delighted about this progress on the Sports Pavilion, and to see the items chosen for the time capsule being buried here. This is another step to Northstowe facilities being developed and many people will soon have the opportunity to benefit from the outcomes of physical and mental wellbeing as a result of using this sports facility. I am looking forward to completion and seeing people of all ages enjoying themselves here.”

Cllr Tom Bygott said: “Watching work progress is very exciting and, once it is ready, this will be a big boost for the Northstowe community.”

Background

The first residents moved into the new town of Northstowe in May 2017 and by 2023 there are more than 1,200 homes occupied. When complete, Northstowe will have 10,000 new homes and an anticipated population of around 26,000 people.

Northstowe is being developed alongside the guided busway in South Cambridgeshire.  Based on the site of the former RAF Oakington base and surrounding farmland between Cambridge and Huntingdon, Northstowe will be a sustainable new development that is richly steeped in local history, giving it an identity that is entirely unique and one that promotes health and well-being.