DEVELOPERS have pledged to spend millions of pounds removing cyanide and arsenic from a former gasworks site to pave the way for a controversial housing scheme.

Residents are fighting Persimmon Homes' plans to create a massive housing development at Heworth Green, near the centre of York.

The company said yesterday that its expenditure on clearing and decontaminating the site would be worthwhile because of soaring property values in the city.

Persimmon, in conjunction with The Helmsley Group, proposes to construct 148 flats and a four-storey office building with parking.

Residents on both sides of the site, in Layerthorpe and Heworth Green, formed an action group to fight the plans.

Protest organiser Alastair Robinson said: "I've spoken to an independent party with much experience of dealing with ex-gasworks developments, containing the same chemicals in the ground as this one, who advised me that it is almost impossible to prevent airborne contamination of the surrounding areas."

However, Persimmon managing director Ian Hessay said: "We've submitted a full ground strategy to the council on how the site would be decontaminated. It's far more unsafe to leave it as it is."