25/11/2009 05:48:00

A derelict piece of land in a Denbighshire town is set to be turned into a reserve following a funding boost of £141,500.

Volunteers are invited to help effect the transformation of the waste land situated nearby Rhuddlan Castle in north Wales. According to the BBC, the nature reserve will make use of an area that had previously been ear-marked for a recycling centre. Plans for the centre were withdrawn in May 2008 following local opposition.

The funding for the new nature reserve, which will improve animal habitats, access routes and parking, has been provided by the Welsh Assembly Government under Strategic Regeneration Area funds, as well as by CADWYN Clwyd and local businessman Ray Fagan, who pledged £30,000 to the cause.

Denbighshire's new reserve will also offer a gateway feature with landscaping, tree planting and the creation of viewing platforms, picnic areas and pond dipping platforms.

The Denbighshire Visitor reports that a management advisory group has been created to ensure that the project has adequate guidance and that all voices are heard. There are a number of projects on the site that are open to involvement from volunteers, including hedge-laying from November 24 to 28.

It is hoped that the gateway will prove an attractive proposition for tourists visiting the castle and Twt Hill. The BBC reports that the Denbighshire council said the project's aim was to "transform the site's neglected appearance into an attractive gateway for tourists visiting Rhuddlan and to link the site with other tourist attractions".