PERMISSION has been granted to turn a shop once run by a community stalwart into a house.

The L’ile Superstore was a staple of Askam’s Sharp Street for decades and now plans have been given the go-ahead to turn it into a home.

The shop sold food, sweets and other sundries for more than 90 years.

It was most recently run by Mary Carter.

Plans to change the use of the shop have been approved.

The ‘local legend’ started helping out at the family store at the age of three and served customers for most of her life before she died in February aged 93.

She was seen as a community stalwart running her L’ile Superstore in Sharp Street.

She sold food, sweets and buckets and spades from her family shop.

Councillor Ben Shirley remembered visiting her shop regularly when he lived in Sharp Street.

He said: “My wife and I were both really sad to hear that she passed away.

“She is indeed a local legend.

“And like lots of local families, I can remember going into her shop as a kid.

“It was the original one-stop shop. But more importantly than that Mary was a proper community person. And if ever we went on holiday or anything like that, she would always look out for your house and report back.”

Nephew Jeff Gaskell paid tribute to her following her death.

He said: “Aunty Mary was an integral part of Askam and was very proud to be able to provide just about anything anyone could want.

“She finally decided to retire just over a year ago and donated all her stock to various charities and good causes.

“Mary had a sharp mind and sometimes a sharp tongue but was respected and loved and will be greatly missed.

The shopkeeper began helping out at her family’s L’ile Superstore at the age of three.

The shop was sold in September last year for £42,000 after put on the market with estate agents Corrie & Co.

The two-storey property in Sharp Street was described as ‘a most interesting, freehold and traditional terrace property that was trading for approximately 75 years as a local village shop’.

It opened in 1929.

Mary passed away at Cartmel Grange Nursing Home.

She was wife of the late Thomas and partner to the late Joe.