WORK on a project that includes a John Lewis At Home store has started on the edge of Ipswich.

Preliminary work has begun at the Crane Engineering site off Ransomes Way – and bosses at the retail giant hope that the new Waitrose and John Lewis At Home store should open on target next spring.

A spokesman for Waitrose said the project was on schedule. “There is not a great deal to see yet, but it is a significant step forward in the development,” he said.

The Waitrose and John Lewis At Home development is just part of the project to re-use the former Crane Engineering site.

The masterplan for the site envisages another non-food superstore along with industrial and office units. The entire site could take several years to develop.

Meanwhile work on the new Tesco store in Grafton Way is not now expected to start until August or September.

A spokeswoman for Tesco said: “While we remain fully committed to the plans, we are reviewing the design to make sure it offers the best service for our new customers. Therefore, we can’t set an exact start date yet.”