Former bookshop in Mayo town to be turned into artisan bakery
Mayo County Council has granted planning permission to transform a former bookshop in Foxford into an artisan bakery.
The project will see the old Joyce’s Bookshop on Davitt Street converted into a bakery at ground-floor level, with the existing dwelling on the site subdivided into two residential units. These will consist of a two-bedroom semiâdetached house next door to the bakery and a oneâbedroom apartment located above the shop.
Plans include permission for renovation and alteration works, incorporating changes to the building’s elevations, along with all connections to services and associated site works.
In their report, council planners said they had no objection to the proposed change of use. The scheme has been described as a “welcome mix of business and housing” and has been heralded as making a positive contribution to the town centre.
Planners issued a request for further information during the application process, seeking clarity on several aspects of the proposal and a revised site layout plan. The applicant was asked to provide information in relation to parking and it was also recommended that revised plans include a first-floor balcony at the rear of the building, in order to create private outdoor space for the one-bedroom apartment.
The site is zoned 'town centre, inner core' under the Mayo County Development Plan 2022–2028.
Following the submission of additional information and revised plans, council planners ruled that the development should proceed, subject to seven conditions.
