Published Thursday, 22nd June 2017

A piece of history was created at the new Merstham Community Hub development on Wednesday 21 June when pupils from Furzefield Primary School in Merstham buried a time capsule at the site.

Children from Furzefield Primary School's School Council with their time capsule.The time capsule will be unearthed in 2047, providing an insight into the local area and the lives of children in 2017.  Among the items the children put into their time capsule are a newspaper, an old and a new £1 coin and information about their school and school.

As part of the project Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s regeneration team visited the school to talk to children about the Merstham regeneration and the sorts of things they might like to put into the capsule.

Once the hub development is complete, a plaque will be placed inside the building with the coordinates of the spot where the capsule is buried and the date it is to be dug up. 

History for future generations

Councillor Natalie Bramhall, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s Executive Member for Property, said: “The development of Merstham Community Hub will provide modern community facilities, giving local residents easier access to important local services, improving the local area and making it a better place to live.

“I’m delighted that children from Furzefield Primary School have been able to get involved in this important local project. I hope the pupils and teachers enjoyed the challenge of deciding what to put in their time capsule to show future generations what life in Merstham is like in 2017.”

Making a difference

Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Property and Business Services Tim Oliver said: "Local children burying this time capsule is a reminder to us all why this project is so important to the future of the area and while money's exceptionally tight for us at the moment this new development will make a big difference to the daily lives of young people while also helping young families thrive and creating job opportunities."

When complete, the Merstham Community Hub will include a new library, youth centre, pre-school childcare, training rooms, a café, public IT resources and drop-in advice facilities. The development also includes three food outlets. 

The construction of the hub is expected to be largely complete by late July when the contractors, W Stirland hand the building over the Surrey County Council for the library, community facilities and shops to be fitted out. The hub and food outlets will open to the public in the coming months. 

Merstham regeneration is a joint initiative between Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, Surrey County Council and Raven Housing Trust to improve facilities in the Portland Drive area, which saw new shops and flats on the former Iron Horse pub site completed last September.

For more information about the Merstham regeneration project see the Merstham regenertion page