BLACKWOOD Town Council wants to pump £20,000 into preserving the last remnants of the area that gave the town its name.

Y Coed Duon- or the black wood- once sprawled across the bottom of the Sirhowy Valley, but disappeared as Blackwood was developed into a town of around 25,000 people.

The last remaining part of it , off Attlee Road, was described by councillor Andrew Farina-Chjilds as "a disgraceful overgrown dumping ground" which he said is full of empty drinks cans and rubbish such as a car bonnet and a microwave.

But Blackwood Town Council has made giving it a new lease of life its main goal for the next year, setting aside £10,000 and looking for match funding so it can spend £20,000 on creating a conservation area.

The last remaining part of Y Coed Duon is around two hectares in size and is surrounded by developments on all sides. While it is overgrown by brambles and blighted by rubbish, bluebells grow and bats live there.

The council wants to save it before any more developments are given the go-ahead, which would mean the area that gave the town its name disappearing completely.

Blackwood town council is planning a major clear-up this September, while it wants to install new paths, allowing local schoolchildren to monitor wildlife there as well as providing information on its history for locals and tourists.

An environment committee has been set up, of which Cllr Delwyn Davies is chairman, Libanus Primary , Blackwood Primary and Comprehensive are to be partners, while the town council is keen to involve everyone from the area.

Cllr Farina-Childs said: "This is the last part of the original Blackwood and in many ways it has been lost. We want to set up a Friends of Coed Duon group and get the whole community involved in giving it a new lease of life."