A SIX HUNDRED bed student village, a new university building and an expansion at Fulford School have all been given the go ahead by city councillors.

Last night the City of York Councils’ planning committee voted unanimously to allow both the University of York’s new biology building and a new sports hall and classroom block for Fulford School.

And a plan to convert the historic St Joseph’s Convent in Lawrence Street into student flats was also voted through, with councillors telling planning staff to find a way to solve traffic and road safety worries before giving developers Vita Student the final go-ahead.

The Fulford School approval came after pleas from some residents in neighbouring Fulfordgate and Eastward Avenue to solve access problems caused by school buses getting on to the school site via their residential roads.

Fulford ward councillor Keith Aspden said that while the other residents supported the school, they needed assurances that the promised second access through the Germany Beck development would be delivered, to ease some of the problems they face.

Headteacher Lorna Savage said the new facilities would save the school time and money by not having to use sports facilities elsewhere.

Mark Ellis, of the council education department, said the new classrooms were desperately needed to met growing demand for school spaces.

The Lawrence Street student village plans will see the Victorian former convent buildings and gardens converted into 660-bed student accommodation.

Cllr Dave Merrett said he was pleased to see the application respect the heritage of the site.

But both he and Cllr Andy D’Agorne voiced worries about cycle access from the site on to busy Lawrence Street, which they said could put students trying to turn right towards the university in danger.

And Cllrs Mark Warters and Brian Watson both said the developers needed to find a better way of giving the nuns, who now live in a converted house in Askham Bryan, decent access to their cemetery which is on the site.

Vita’s agent Natasha Rowland from Savills said the developers would hold an open day before work started so local people would have an opportunity see the gardens and orchards that lie behind the walls around the complex before building work starts.