Work on a new £70m University of the West of Scotland (UWS) campus in Ayr is set to get underway in September after the development was given the go-ahead by the local authority.

South Ayrshire Council has awarded full planning permission and approved the transfer of land to the university for the new 18,000sq m (193,750sq ft) facility, which will be situated on the Craigie Estate alongside the River Ayr. A gym, a drama studio and a library are among the proposed facilities at the new campus, which will also provide a new base for the Scottish Agriculture College and include a general teaching space, a refectory, a lecture theatre and computing labs.

Plans for the new campus have been drawn up by Scottish-based architects RMJM, with the design focused around a series of external 'garden classrooms' flowing into the building to create an entrance courtyard, a central atrium and a private library courtyard space. Bovis Lend Lease UK has been appointed to construct the new facility, which has been developed in consultation with the Natural Garden Society, Historic Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Wildlife Trust.

UWS principal and vice chancellor, Seamus McDaid, said: "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."

Neil McLean, office director at RMJM, added: "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 development, which also incorporates the Grade A-listed Craigie House, is expected to be completed by September 2011.