Councillor invites residents to raise their concerns over a pint at pub
Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter
Residents will be able to raise their concerns with a councillor while he serves them from behind the bar.
As well as being an elected councillor Nick Byrne is the landlord and owner of live music venue The Dragonflli.
The councillor is dedicating an upcoming night as a Community Concerns event with the intention residents can discuss any issues they think Torfaen Borough Council can act on with him, much as they can at the traditional style monthly surgeries he holds at the community hall in his New Inn ward in Pontypool.
“This is just giving people another opportunity to speak with a councillor,” said Cllr Byrne one of three Labour members representing New Inn on Torfaen council.
“We’ve been running surgeries at the community hall since I was elected, in 2022, but the last couple of months they started to get a little bit quieter.
“I know a lot of people put stuff out on Facebook but don’t always come through the proper channels and we’ve also started doing street surgeries where we walk around the streets in the ward and invite residents to come along, and we try and do different dates and times as I know people work.
“I thought I’ve got the space at The Dragonflli and thought it would be a good idea to trial something new.”
Though The Dragonflli, on Crumlin Road, is “just outside” the New Inn ward Cllr Byrne said he will be happy to pass any concerns on to other councillors.
“I get a lot of customers from New Inn and if anyone has any issues in the ward they can raise it or any other ward and I can let the councillors for their wards know about it.”
The councillor, who also works as a delivery driver for Waitrose, will be behind the bar on the night as he says the venue which he has owned for 12 years, and which closed for two years from 2023 for a substantial refurbishment, doesn’t generate enough income to employ staff since reopening.
“I’ve never been able to sustain a living wage from running it and can’t afford to employ staff so I’ll be pulling the pints, or serving soft drinks, and it’s a chance to talk to the landlord.”
The Community Concerns event will take place at The Dragonffli on Crumlin Road, Pontypool from 7.30pm on Thursday, 20 August.
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