TORFAEN is to get a £5 million environmental facelift, im-proving rivers, canals and parks - thanks to the European Union.

The council has been awarded seven million Euros under the EU's INTERREG programme, which will be spent on seven different programmes to improve the area.

They include the restoration of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, a clean-up of rivers in Torfaen, plans to increase the number of visitors coming to Blaenavon by linking the area with the Brecon Beacons, and a programme to link the World Heritage Site with other sites of industrial heritage throughout Europe.

Councillor John Marshall, executive member for the environment, said: "European cash is making a big difference to the quality of life in Torfaen and this latest round of grant an-nouncements contains some exciting projects.

"It covers areas including the environment, business and tourism." The money will be divided between the following projects:

NEWTASC: A £1,608,617 scheme to regenerate Cwmbran in partnership with other New Towns in France, the Netherlands and England;

Boundless Parks Naturally: A £785,633 programme to increase the number of visitors to the World Heritage Site at Blaenavon including a plan to link the site with the Brecon Beacons;

Encourage: A £992,835 project to develop a better infrastructure for visitors while making sure there is no negative impact for those living in Blaenavon;

European Route of Industrial Heritage: A £224,029 scheme which will link Blaenavon with other industrial heritage sites including Ironbridge in Shropshire and the Ruhr and Saarland in Germany;

Revit: A £503,036 project to map brownfield sites in Torfaen to show what problems and difficulties stand in the way of their use;

Clean Rivers: A £59,228 scheme which will involve communities in cleaning up rivers within Torfaen;

Crosscut: A £577,174 scheme to clear the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal from Newport to Two Locks to be completed in 2006.

Phil Hughes, secretary of the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal Trust, said about the last project: "That's absolutely wonderful news as far as I'm concerned.

"We've been fighting for the canal to be restored for so many years and the local council are finally realising what an asset they've got."