THE construction site for one of Oxfordshire's largest-ever housing estates will be regularly hosed down to avoid clouds of dust polluting the surrounding air.

Persimmon Homes has promised that its contractors will continually dampen roads around the Grove Airfield building site with mobile water tanks called bowsers.

The developer has also said it will ban 'dry sweeping of large areas' and carry out weekly inspections to 'monitor compliance with dust control procedures'.

Persimmon, whose chief executive Jeff Fairburn was asked to leave last week following massive controversy over his £75m annual bonus, has revealed its construction management plan for the 2,500-home Oxfordshire estate in a submission to Vale of White Horse District Council.

The company has also pledged to 'translocate newts away from construction areas into protected habitat within the site' and cover up piles of soil to stop badgers making nests in them.