THE company involved in the major redevelopment of community facilities in Woodbridge has rebutted allegations that it does not have appropriate experience to carry out the significant project.

THE company involved in the major redevelopment of community facilities in Woodbridge has rebutted allegations that it does not have appropriate experience to carry out the significant project.

A new primary school is earmarked for Pytches Road and the current site used by New Street primary school will be turned into a public library with houses and flats built around the playground. The old library will be used for medical facilities and housing if plans are approved.

Concern was expressed at meeting in Woodbridge about the qualifications of G&E Woodbridge Consortium Ltd (G&E), the company behind the scheme, and a letter published in the EADT claimed the architect had never designed a school.

But both the county council and the developers have published details illustrating the company's commitment to the scheme and its background.

G&E is a company specifically set up by Greystoke and Everleigh Ltd for this project and G&E has already spent more than £250,000 in preparing the scheme.

Robert Alexander is the managing director of G&E and principal of the directing architectural practice for the project. He has more than 30 years' experience in architecture and for two years he was architect advisor to the Ministries of Education in Afghanistan.

There he had special responsibility for the architectural and constructional aspects of the substantial World Bank programmes of school and college buildings. Mr Alexander also trained architects and technicians in matters relating to design and construction of education buildings.

G&E said: ''Very recently Mr Alexander has been responsible for the design of a new building for the preparatory department at King's School, Ely, a large indoor swimming pool for Bishop's Stortford College, both of which required winning competition entries, and the design of the first major extension to the listed buildings of the Royal Hospital School at Holbrook. These latter projects being undertaken as consultant architect to the practice of Hollins architects and surveyors.''

Brian Williams, the county council's assistant director (property), said: ''In choosing G&E as the developer information concerning the experience of the overall development team was fully considered. The county council is familiar with a number of consultants on that team, having worked successfully with them in the past……. The county council is pleased with the design for the new primary school.''

The completed Curzon House £2.5m project in the conservation area of central Ipswich and the new £4.5m project to convert the redundant Marlborough Hotel into homes are projects undertaken by Greystoke and Everleigh Ltd.

richard.smith@eadt.co.uk

(NB Subs, we must keep in the £250,000 figure. RS)