CONSTRUCTION of a long-awaited shop in Jennett's Park has finally started, after years of setbacks and unanswered questions.

Residents on the estate, built in 2007, had been forced to travel two to three miles simply to buy a pint a milk, as the neighbourhood shop promised to them when they bought their homes failed to materialise.

Despite work starting on the shop site earlier in 2016, what little progress was made was left to rot by builders, with rusted steel work and muddy pools of water dotting the abandoned site until now.

Owners of the site Jennett’s Park Consortium — consisting of Persimmon Homes and Redrow — were criticised for failing to deliver a shop with more than 1,000 homes in the development.

It was rumoured work had ground to a halt because of an alleged disagreement between the two developers.

A spokesman for Persimmon Homes Thames Valley said: “We are pleased to announce that work has begun on the shop at Jennett’s Park. We look forward to the completion and delivery of this superb facility by the end of the year.”

Jon Fletcher, Managing Director, Redrow Homes Southern Counties, said: "Persimmon Homes are responsible for delivery of the shop at Jennett's Park and we understand they have already begun work on site."

Bracknell MP Dr Phillip Lee, who waded into the alleged disagreement last year, said: “It is very good news that the developers have resolved their issues that were preventing work continuing on the shop development.  I wrote, pressing them on the matter, as long ago as last summer and I know that the local community and their local councillors have not let up on the fight in the intervening months.

“We must remember, though, that we have been here before, and I will not let this drop until I have bought my first pint of milk from the new shop.”

Persimmon Homes has not yet commented on the cause of the delay.