Apple Campus Approved By Cupertino Council

Apple has won approval for plans to build its new "spaceship" headquarters in northern California.

The 2.8 million square foot building got a unanimous green light during a meeting of Cupertino City Council.

Apple boss Tim Cook tweeted his delight, saying: "Our home for innovation and creativity for decades to come. Cupertino City Council Gives Unanimous Approval for Apple's New Campus."

The new HQ, near San Jose, was the brainchild of co-founder Steve Jobs, who presented the plans to the council in June 2011.

In what is said to be his last public appearance, Jobs said the main building was like a "little spaceship" and said it had the potential to be the "best office building in the world".

More than 14,000 employees will come together in Apple Campus 2, whose four-storey main building includes a huge garden area at its centre.

Designed by London firm Foster and Partners, the tech company is lining up a 2016 move-in date, with demolition work on existing buildings hoped to begin at the end of this year.

The campus is set to be "net-zero energy" thanks to 700,000 square feet of rooftop solar panels.

Councillors at the meeting in Cupertino also heard about "significant, but unavoidable" traffic issues caused by the new campus, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

However, Apple has promised that 34% of employees will use public transport or company shuttle buses to get to work. The campus will also have thousands of underground parking spaces.

The cost of the new headquarters has ballooned to $5bn (£3bn), according to a Bloomberg report earlier this year - still only a fraction of Apple's estimated $147bn (£92bn) cash stockpile.

A final council vote on November 15 will sign off the project but the meeting is seen as an administrative formality.