Shadow Minister for Labour and Home Affairs Michael Dunkley and one of the Island's major construction executives yesterday raised concern over the apparent lack of activity on the building site of the new Berkeley Institute.

And the slow start to the massive school project, which has a deadline of September 2003, has led to fears that the contract is already behind schedule - 11 weeks after it was awarded to proactive Management Systems Ltd.

Mr. Dunkley said he would have thought that the site, on Berkeley Road in Pembroke, would have been a hive of activity as an amalgam of subcontractors begin to put the state-of-the-art school together.

But, the site has been relatively quiet, so far.

And a leading executive of one of the Island's major construction firms, who did not want to be identified, said he, too, had grave concerns about whether or not the school would be built on time.

The executive said: "We would have expected them to have done something by now. With the schedule as tight as it is, they should have hit the ground running. I think we would be very concerned if we were in that position.

"There should be an awful lot going on in the background that people cannot see, in terms of procurement, but I think there should be a lot of activity on the site, as well, such as digging, holes in the ground, and things associated with the foundations.

"It's remarkable to me how little has happened on the site. They have had the contract for two months and they have not really done anything. That has to be a concern."

Proactive has refused to speak to The Royal Gazette about any aspect of the project, and when one of the partners Cavon Steede was asked if the newspaper could be provided with a construction programme earlier this week, he gave little response.

Mr. Dunkley said he would like the construction programme to be made public so everyone could see what work was to be carried out and when.

Mr. Dunkley said: "It is very concerning to me, and other members of the public, that there seems to be very little action down on that site.

"I would have thought it would have been a hive of activity by now. Clearly Government has to answer some of the questions we have.

"We have grave concerns about this project. The development must surely be behind schedule already. That doesn't make us feel very confident that it will be finished by September 2003."

Works and Engineering Minister Alex Scott is off the Island on vacation at the moment, but standing in for him, Minister without Portfolio Randy Horton said Government had no concerns about the progress of the development.

And he said looks could sometimes be deceiving.

He said: "We are certainly satisfied with the project with regards where we want it to be.

"I think it may appear to some people that nothing is happening or has taken place on the site, but, in reality, there has been a lot of progress.

"There are a lot of activities taking place, including the engineering drawings, mechanics, and a number of activities associated with the property and its foundations.

"It may not look like much is happening, but we are satisfied. It is due to finish by September 2003 - and that is still the goal, " he said.