Clare County Council insists it will follow best practice as it attempts to "breathe new life" into an iconic Ennis building. The local authority submitted plans in December to turn the Cloister at 49 Abbey Street into an arts and heritage hub consisting of artist studios, classrooms, conference space and exhibition space. A recent submission from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage describes the planning application for the project as "deficient" as specialist archaeological input wasn't included. Clare County Council's Town Regeneration Officer Joan Tarmey says they're working with the Department to ensure no harm comes to the 13th century structure over the course of the renovation.