WHEN he was elected, he was one of the youngest county councillors in all of Wales. After a year on the job, Joshua Beynon has reflected on his experiences.

Joshua Beynon, who is also a town councillor, was just 19 when he was elected in May last year.

He described being a councillor as a positive experience - but a frustrating one.

“It’s been a really interesting experience and I do think things are changing, but one of the most frustrating things is how long it takes to see things done,” he said.

“Whilst some major decisions need time to go out to consultation and be properly debated and scrutinised by members, even the most basic concerns affecting my ward can be so difficult to solve in an efficient manner.”

Cllr Beynon added that the experience had also been frustrating due to the environment of Pembroke Dock Town Council, which has seen some members be accused of bullying behaviour.

At the end of last year a second town clerk, Sarah Scourfield, resigned due to the behaviour of councillors.

“In the first place we should never have gotten into that place where we lost people,” Cllr Beynon said.

“The council was perhaps blind, thinking that this can never happen.

“The saddest thing about it is that Sarah left and she was really good at what she does.”

Also a student at Swansea University, Cllr Beynon has to balance his school and work life but said that it has not been an issue yet.

He said: “I have definitely had to do 40, 50, even 60 hour weeks and so there’s so much to read, it’s just about getting the balance right.”

Mr Beynon said he hopes to see better representation in the councils in the future, especially for women, pointing out that there are only eight women in the county council out of 60.

He said that after the election he felt a great pressure to prove anyone who had said he was too young wrong.

“The most important thing for me is representing my constituents,” he said.

“I will always be grateful to the electors of my ward who decided to put their faith in me, in something different, for their local council.”