CAMPAIGNERS who lost the battle to save a Risca care home are looking to set up a community or town council.

Friends of Ty Darran Campaign Group will have a stall at this Sunday's Risca carnival to canvass the idea of setting up a town or community council.

The idea came from one of the group's regular meetings when they felt Risca and Pontymister were being overlooked, following the closure of the care home, and wanted to give the town a stronger voice.

The group fought a robust eight-month battle against Caerphilly council plans to close Ty Darran, which was first announced in January.

What followed was aimed at showing the strength of feeling to the council - including a 14,000-signature petition, a protest march involving hundreds through Risca and a doorstop protest at the Senedd.

Despite their efforts, the council voted unanimously to close the home in May and the subsequent legal challenge came to an end earlier this month after the group decided not to pursue it due to the dwindling number of residents at the home and because they felt they didn’t have enough information.

Bill Price, whose late brother-in-law John Lewis lived in Ty Darran for 15 years before he died in July, said: "There is a feeling we lost the battle, but we did not want to lose the war, Risca is being decimated a bit at a time and we don't have a voice - 14,000 signatures proved that."

A questionnaire at the carnival will ask people their views on establishing a council and depending on the outcome, a public meeting will be called to mark the start of the formal process to create it.

Mr Price added: "We want a range of people, young and old, prepared to give their time to help look after Risca, because nobody else will look after us."