A CAMPAIGNER has spoken of his disappointment over plans to convert a pub into a home.

The Leader reported recently how plans were submitted to Wrexham Council which would see the Black Lion pub in Newbridge converted into a three-bedroom house.

Brian Vardy, Chairman of the Campaign For Real Ale (CAMRA) Chester and Clwyd South branch, said last year that he feared pubs forced by the pandemic to close their doors may never reopen again.

Following the submission of the plans for the Black Lion, he said: "It would be a very sad loss. These pubs are the heart of the community and they are meeting places.

"They are important for all kinds of groups of people - football teams, darts and dominoes players, runners, walkers.

"If pubs go, there won't be anywhere for those people to meet."

Mr Vardy said he was glad the rules in Wales appear to be "more sympathetic" than those in England, but still expressed his concern for what the future may hold for struggling pub tenants and owners.

"The problem is the unknown," he said. "If you know you're going to locked down for a month, six weeks or two months - it would be possible for you to plan. "But if you don't know when you will be allowed to resume, it's not possible."