Mayo leads the way in pub-to-home conversions under planning exemption scheme
County Mayo had the highest number of notifications to convert former pubs into homes between 2022 and 2024, new figures show.
Data published this week by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage revealed that 18 notifications were lodged in Mayo over the two-year period, paving the way for 40 new homes.
Since the planning exemption scheme was expanded in 2022 to include the conversion of pubs into residential properties, a total of 154 notifications have been submitted nationwide, with the potential to deliver 459 homes.
The planning exemption scheme, first rolled out in 2018, allows certain vacant commercial buildings to be turned into residential units without the need for planning permission. It was later extended to include pubs, in an effort to tackle the housing crisis.
Between 2018 and 2024, local authorities across the country received 1,457 notifications under the scheme. If all are developed, these projects could create 3,429 homes.
Mayo received a total 101 change of use notifications during that period, with the potential to deliver 201 new homes.
The figures also show that 2024 was the busiest year since the scheme began, with 292 notifications submitted nationwide. These projects could generate 713 homes once completed.
While Mayo has been one of the most active counties in using planning exemptions to turn vacant pubs and commercial buildings into homes, local representatives in the Claremorris and Swinford Municipal District have previously raised concerns about the planning exemption scheme.
The municipal council wrote to Minister James Browne after Cllr Alma Gallgher raised concerns about the number of conversions taking place under article 10(6) of the Planning and Development Regulations, 2001.
“From my point of view, one size fits all doesn’t always fit,” she said, “In a town like Ballyhaunis, it is essential that we protect some commercial integrity of the town centre. We have a lot of multi-unit developments happening at the moment in the square in Ballyhaunis and with these developments there is no planning requirement for parking, or recreational spaces.”
Her comments were supported by Cllr Gerry Murray who added that multi-unit developers take up "enormous latitude”, and that neighbours of these multi-unit developments find their own property price getting devalued due to issues such as a reduction in privacy.
He stated it is important to protect the commercial value of towns in Mayo and said: “We know there’s a situation in towns where people are looking for retail space and they can’t get it.”
In response to the letter from the Claremorris and Swinford Municipal Council, Minister Browne confirmed that a review of the current exempted development regulations was ongoing and that engagement between Government Bodies was near completion.
“A wider public consultation on exempted development regulations will be undertaken,” he wrote, “Members of the public, State bodies and other concerned parties will be able to make submissions in writing as part of the consultation process.”
In response to the planning exemption figures released by his department this week, Minister Browne said: “Planning exemptions play a vital role in unlocking the potential of vacant commercial buildings, making it much more straightforward to convert them into much needed homes.
“I feel very strongly about buildings lying often vacant in the middle of a housing crisis, and to be honest it is not acceptable if a conversion is possible. It is imperative that we convert suitable properties into homes and give people the opportunity to do that.”
This article has been funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.