THE Labour party made inroads in the last council elections in 2004, being the only party to gain seats in the Gwent part of Caerphilly. The party gained 11 seats across 14 wards of the borough council which fall inside Gwent. Caerphilly county borough council is one of the largest local authorities in Wales, with 170,000 people living within its borders. But now Labour faces a fight on several fronts, with opposing parties looking to capitalise on political issues hitting the headlines. For the first time People's Voice are fielding candidates in the authority and hope to take a number of seats. The borough has seen a number of changes since the last local election. One of the major developments include the opening of the 13m Ebbw Vale to Cardiff raillink which runs through the south of the borough. Newbridge train station has proved to be a popular development in the town and the soon-to-opened Crosskeys/Pontymister station will add to the success of the project. Issues such as the planned drug rehabilitation centre at Highbury House, Blackwood and the multi-million pound Blackwood town centre redevelopment have hit the headlines in recent months. The new Blackwood bus station, retail park and Chartist bridge has helped revolutionise the town centre and increase shoppers.