A NEWLY-REVAMPED community shop has finally opened its doors to the public, bringing a long-running saga finally to an end.

Building work on the new Gosfield Community Shop has been underway since October and is now finally complete, with the shop opening this week.

Shop volunteers and residents staged a long-running campaign to keep it open and are delighted to see it come to fruition.

Halstead Gazette: Spacious - inside the new shopSpacious - inside the new shop (Image: Steve Amerio)

The store was operating from a portable building in the village playing field car park.

Planning permission was granted by Braintree Council on the understanding that the shop would operate from a permanent base rather than from a temporary building.

The shop previously secured permission to build an extension to the adjacent sports pavilion as its permanent home, however, construction had to begin by October last year with an enforcement to close order looming.

It was estimated it would cost well over £100,000, so the committee applied for a National Lottery grant, which was successful.

Halstead Gazette: Open - the village is delighted to see the community shop finally open againOpen - the village is delighted to see the community shop finally open again (Image: Steve Amerio)

Committee chairman Brian Payne was overjoyed to see the hard work finally pay off.

He said: “I am delighted to say the new shop opened on Monday, and it is looking great.

“When the present volunteer committee took over, we were hit with lockdown and then the enforcement order so were against the odds from the start.

“It is just fantastic. The shop has more space, more choice and it is more user friendly. We are seeing people spending more now, there is more room and people spend longer inside.

“The lovely little old ladies who pop down have more room to roam with their buggies which is nice to see.

“The whole project is a dream come true. I know the struggle we had, and whilst I never once doubted we’d raise the money, I was surprised we did it in such a short time.

“The first time I saw the shop completed was simply amazing, and now it is there for generations to come which is the most important thing.

"We are now hoping to get someone from the National Lottery down to complete a grand opening soon."