Graham Construction has been awarded an £11.6m project for the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) for construction of student residences to be built in the heart of Paisley town centre.

Work on the new residencies complex, which will see the creation of 336 bed spaces is currently underway. The complex - which will be built on the site of the University's Storie Street car park - has a scheduled completion date of July 2012.

The project is part of the University's £250M investment programme, which also includes a new £70M Ayr Campus and upgrade of classrooms and IT infrastructure across all campuses.

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Professor Seamus McDaid, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of the West of Scotland, said: "Good facilities are critical to a positive student learning experience. The development of modern accommodation in the heart of Paisley is crucial to our ambitions to attract and retain more students and is part of the wider investment programme to improve the quality of our estate across all four campuses.

"This new development, which illustrates our deep commitment to providing the very best facilities for our students, is also hugely important to the local community. It will increase the enormous contribution that the University makes to the local economy, greatly enhancing the centre of Paisley and bringing long-term benefits to the town."

The new student accommodation will include bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and communal kitchen/living facilities provided for every cluster of 5 or 6 beds; a management suite; student lounge and laundry facilities.

(GK)