After over a decade-long wait the opening of a Tesco Express on Olive Lane is a significant milestone for the residents of Waverley.
The store, situated on the former Orgreave Coking works site, serves a community that has seen significant housing development in recent years.
Waverley now comprises of 1,800 homes, including a school, and a pub. Olive Lane is intended to be the central high street, providing essential services.
Kat Harbourne, a Waverley resident said: “We’ve lived here for four years and have always had to drive somewhere to go get milk, to go get bread, just those little things you need to pop in for, so it’s very thrilling day for us in our house that there’s a new shop on site.”
Now as well as Tesco, the new high street is set to feature a bar, Specsavers, Indian restaurant, vets, nursery, medical centre, pharmacy, and Waverley Community Council will be moving into the new community centre.
However, frustration over unkept building promises and delays have upset some residents.
Ms Harbourne said: “It’s great we’ve got a shop but why has it taken so long to get to this point? And why aren’t they listening to what the residents actually want? There’s a lot of anger over delays and the various promises that we’ve been made.
“The shop’s been promised for more than 10 years, at one point there was this whole complex they were going to build and now it’s one tiny row of shops.”
An earlier plan for a £50m town centre called Waverly Square was axed in 2020, three years after it won planning permission, due to the impact of the Covid lockdown.
The developers Harworth said when Olive Lane plans were announced that the scheme would meet the immediate needs of the community.
Ms Harbourne said: “There are upwards of 3000 to 4000 people living here now so the fact the infrastructure has been promised for a decade now and has constantly been shrunk doesn’t seem enough for an estate with this many people.”
Developers Harworth were contacted for comment.