Fresh plans submitted to demolish derelict west Mayo pub building

A FRESH planning application has been lodged with Mayo County Council to demolish an old public house in the centre of Westport just five months after a similar application was refused.

An application to demolish the former Nolan's pub on James Street in Westport and replace it with a proposed new café restaurant has been made by developer Harold Conway. The proposed development will also include an area for the preparation of hot and cold food, a food and beverage retail outlet with dine-in and takeaway services on the ground floor and a two-bed apartment on the first floor, as well as a new shopfront.

A similar application was refused planning permission by Mayo County Council in October last year due to the building's location within an Architectural Conservation Area after conservation officers recommended that the structure should be retained as the demolition was not appropriate.

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The former Nolan's pub building is currently derelict and in the new application, a report on the building's condition stated that there was evidence of 'slight subsidence' to the front of the building and the condition of existing mortar and mortar repair in the front wall is poor and crumbles when handled.

The walls of the building were described as being in a poor condition as are the windows and doors while there is 'clear evidence of water ingress with significant damage to both ceilings and walls'.

“It is recommended that the external walls to the original building and rear extension be demolished, including foundations if any, and reconstructed to current standards. These works would necessitate the complete demolition of the entire building as the existing floors and roofs would also be taken down in the process. The replacement works would ensure a building that is safe for use and in full compliance with current Building Regulations,” read the recommendation in the report which was compiled by Taylor McCarney Architects based in Castlebar.

It is understood that the two-storey terraced building located near the bottom of James Street was originally built in the 1830s and is noted on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as being of a regional rating with a category of special interest assigned as architectural.

In her report for the 2024 application, Siobhán Sexton, Architectural Conservation Officer with Mayo County Council stated that the proposed development would affect the character of the historic structure, the setting, and the Westport Town Architectural Conservation Area and recommended that the structure should be retained.

A decision on the new planning application is expected to be delivered later this summer.