THREE temporary car parks look set to be created in a Gwent town centre while another is closed.

But some residents are unhappy that motorists could be allowed to park in the playground of a former school near their homes.

The Argus reported last month how traders in Blackwood feared the ten-week closure of the car park behind the High Street would hit business, with shoppers going elsewhere. Work on a new retail development at the north of the town will see the car park closed while material from the embankment there is taken to the site to raise its level.

Beverley Edwards, who co-owns Tidals Stores in High Street, told the Argus in April: "Take a car park out of a town and you have cut off its lifeblood.

"You cannot lose those car parking spaces without it having a knock-on effect." Now Caerphilly council is planning to open three temporary car parks to compensate for the loss of the 128 spaces.

Councillors will be advised to grant permission for the car parks - two to be small extensions of the existing Cliff Road car park and one on the former Blackwood Junior School site - at a planning committee meeting on Wednesday.

They will be told the proposal follows concerns raised by Blackwood Chamber of Trade that off-street parking would be a problem during the works.

No complaints have been received regarding the plans to extend the Cliff Road car park, but three letters have been sent to the council about the proposal to allow cars to park on the playground of the former school.

Objections include: Traffic would be increased on an already busy road; Danger to pedestrians, particularly children, would increase; Anti-social behaviour would be encouraged, and the site could provide a meeting place for joyriders.

But councillors will be told the chief engineer does not share the highway safety concerns, and as there is potential for late-night disturbance, the car park will only open between 8am and 8pm.