COUNCIL chiefs are investigating after ‘hideous’ advertising signs were displayed on a former York convent’s walls during its redevelopment into a student housing complex.

City of York Council says it considers the signs outside the former St Joseph’s Convent in Lawrence Street are a breach of planning rules, and it is considering taking action.

Independent councillor Mark Warters has complained to the authority about the ‘hideous signage, gaudy painted doors and advertising’ for the new Vita Student Village, which he claims are all unauthorised.

He said a retrospective planning application for some older signs was turned down by a council area planning committee last autumn, after which they were removed, but new ones had now gone up, and doors in the centre of the wall had been painted a ‘garish’ red colour.

“The situation outside the former St Joseph’s Convent becomes more and more like a circus every day,” he claimed.

He said council leader David Carr had spoken ‘most forcefully’ against the application at the committee hearing, and asked what immediate steps the council intended to take to protect the appearance of the wall, which he said was Grade 11 listed.

Lee McLean, managing director of Vita Student, said: “We will work closely with the council to resolve this issue.”

The convent buildings were originally designed by a local Roman Catholic architect and built between 1870 and 1875.

Nuns occupied the grade II-listed convent buildings for 140 years but the property was put up for sale three years ago when the eight remaining sisters could no longer manage the site.

Construction work started last year on the 6.3 acre-site, which involves a renovation of the convent and the building of 14 new accommodation buildings in the grounds.

The new student village will have 649 beds, mainly for University of York students.

It will join a long list of sites being developed for student accommodation in the area, including the established Boulevard scheme in Hull Road, York St John University housing in Navigation Road, Student Castle in Walmgate and Foss Studios in Lawrence Street.