POLLUTION studies on the town park site will go on until the autumn, with a programme of radar testing, boreholes and pits scheduled.

At a Town Hall meeting this week, the people running the study explained that they would keep disruption to the existing car parks to a minimum while they tried to measure the extent of underground pollution.

Environment and Public Services vice-president Deputy Jerry Dorey introduced a presentation by Arup Rothwell consultants Steve Hold and Cyrus Toms, who are preparing a report on the scope of the pollution on the Gas Place and Talman sites left by the former gasworks.

They told an audience of about a dozen people that the survey would begin with a radar study from the start of next week, followed by a series of boreholes and trial pits up to three metres deep.

Mr Hold said that while there would be disruption to parking on both the Gas Place and Talman sites, they would try to keep it to an absolute minimum.

He added that the study would include an attempt to locate and map the neolithic dolmen under the Gas Place site.

The study will mean that parts of the car park will have to be closed to the public.

On Monday the private car park on the Talman site will be closed.

On Tuesday half of the Gas Place car park closest to the Talman site will be shut off, with the other half closed the following day.