Ipswich Borough Council has refuted Alderman Road residents' claims that they failed to use the correct procedures when giving Town permission to build the new North Stand.

John Goodrich, the head of legal services at the council said: "The council strongly refutes the allegation and has filed a defence to the claim which has been lodged with the court."

The residents, named in reports today as Rose Malster and David Cox, have employed Cambridge-based solicitor Richard Buxton in order to get the council's decision overturned. The first stage of the judicial review went the way of the council and club. The judge first considered a written submission and now all parties are waiting to hear if there will be an oral submission.

As David Sheepshanks said yesterday the club is confident that the stand will go ahead and that the challenge will come to nothing.

Not all of the residents are backing the action, with one, Pat Burrows saying: "We are concerned by the scale of the new stand, but it's always been there and the old North Stand has been tatty as long as I have lived here, 20 years." She added that she felt the action was futile.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said he didn't think that Richard Wright would be available as the Town keeper's move to Arsenal moves to its inexorable conclusion.

Wenger said: "Dudek was only our first choice because we did not think Richard would be available but we hit a major financial obstacle with Feyenoord and now Ipswich have agreed we can talk to Richard. I think he might join us and add to our English base at the club, which we see as very important."

Jonathan Barnett, Wright's agent said: "At the moment Wright is still an Ipswich Town player, but I hope to conclude negotiations with Arsenal over the next few days."

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls