New university campus in Ayr gets green light

Jun 19 2009

A NEW £70 million university campus has taken a step closer to becoming a reality this week afer it was given full planning consent.

Construction of the massive new campus on the Craigie Estate will start in September with university chiefs promising that it will benefit the entire community.

Approval has also been given for transfer of land from South Ayrshire Council.

And it means that the existing campus on the edge of the estate will be replaced with an state-of-the art facilities capable of housing 4000 students.

Professor Seamus McDaid is the principal and vice chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland.

He said: “We are delighted that our exciting Ayr Campus development has received the full support of South Ayrshire Council and that we are now one step closer to the creation of this unique campus facility.

“Our new campus in Ayr will provide significant benefits not only to the University, but to the local community and the west of Scotland as a whole.

“It will enable us to expand our course provision and develop an international dimension to our operations in Ayr, with a campus that will attract students from across the globe.”

The new campus will also incorporate the Scottish Agricultural College, which will move out of its base at Auchincruive once work is completed.

It will include general teaching space, a gym, a refectory, a library, a lecture theatre, a drama studio and computing labs.

And Professor Bill McKelvey, principal of SAC, said “We are very pleased to be joining UWS on this new campus.

“It will reinvigorate SAC in Ayrshire and provide our students with a great environment in which to study.”

The new campus has been designed by Glasgow based architects RMJM and incorporates the A listed Craigie House.

Neil McLean from the firm said: “This is a major development for higher education in Scotland.

“We have been inspired by the fantastic natural setting of the existing estate and now look forward to delivering a unique building that students can enjoy both inside and out.”

The new campus is scheduled for opening in September 2011.