Families moving to developing Bradley Stoke in the 1980s were promised a district centre that would be a focal point to the town.

But it has taken until now for the plans to leave the development stage.

The first step of the scheme was finally completed with the opening of the new Tesco Extra at the Willow Brook Centre.

About 50 customers waited outside the supermarket, one of the biggest in the Bristol area, which is at the heart of the district centre.

The first stage includes Tesco and other businesses, from a coffee shop to hairdressing salon, will open in other units in the centre.

Other shops will open in the coming weeks and months, with three large non-food stores to open next summer.

No announcement has yet been made over which companies will occupy those bigger units.

Bradley Stoke's mayor, Cllr Robert Jones, formally opened the supermarket, toasting its success with champagne and cutting a cake.

He said Tesco was just the start of a new era for shopping in the town.

"Although we are opening Tesco today, it's a much wider development with the other shops for the town. It's all good for Bradley Stoke," he said.

Mr Jones said the centre had created many jobs and hoped people from a wide area would support it, even though it was opening at a difficult time because of the financial crisis.

The town council is backing the complex by moving its offices into Willow Brook early next year.

The district centre site only got its first Tesco in 1992, even though some shops opened in other parts of the town.

Eventually a leisure centre, swimming pool and library were also provided but the district centre scheme remained on ice.

"Ownership of the land changed a number of times before Tesco bought it and the plans went through various amendments since about 1996, so it's taken a long time to get here," said the town clerk, David Chandler.

The development is around a circular open space, with the supermarket replacing the old Tesco next door.

The old store traded up to Sunday, with 300 existing staff transferring to the new premises in time for the opening.

A further 300 new staff have also been taken on and the old store will be demolished to create more parking.