Report: Apple inches closer to 'spaceship' HQ

Cupertino City Council has given the final thumbs up for mega HQ development

Apple's long-awaited "spaceship" headquarters or "Apple 2" campus is a step closer to being built after Cupertino City Council voted unanimously to allow the development.

According to the San Jose Mercury News site the council also agreed to reduce the annual tax break it gives the iPhone and iPad maker by 15 per cent.

Under the deal, the city will return 35 per cent of Apple's taxes, amounting to about $4.4m (£2.7m) based on its most recent revenue.

The 2.8 million square foot, futuristic-looking building (pictured) was designed with significant input from Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who presented the plans to the council shortly before he died after a long battle with pancreatic cancer in 2011.

It will be packed with environmentally friendly features and covered in curved glass. Building work is expected to start shortly, with heavy machinery already on site.

According to the report, councillor Gilbert Wong told Dan Whisenhunt, Apple's head of real estate and facilities, that the council was "really proud that [Apple] has decided to stay in Cupertino".

The building is predicted to open for business in mid-2016.