The best-known car in the world is now almost certain to be built in Sussex.

Councillors approved plans for the German owners of Rolls-Royce to build a factory and administrative headquarters on land at Goodwood.

The decision still has to be ratified by the full meeting of Chichester District Council on May 22 and it would have to be sent to the politician who becomes environment secretary after the General Election on June 7, who could order a public inquiry.

The vote was a convincing 14-1 in favour. BMW has threatened to take production of Rolls-Royce abroad if it does not win permission for the site, which it said was the only one in the UK to meet its criteria.

Critics claimed that building the factory in the heart of the countryside would spoil the rural area and open the floodgates to further industrial development.

However, councillors voted to accept a report that said the economic benefits to Chichester and a wider area of West Sussex outweighed any potential harm to the countryside.

BMW said it had designed a factory which would be partially sunk into the ground and given a specially designed green roof so that it would blend in with its surroundings.

The factory would cost £60 million to build and create around 400 jobs.

Around 1,000 cars a year would be assembled at the plant, which would be on land owned by Lord March, close to his historic Goodwood Motor Racing Circuit.

The track may be used to test cars and show them off to potential owners, who could also fly into Goodwood, which has an airfield nearby.

Critics of the scheme were allowed to address a special meeting of the council's development control committee before the vote was taken.

Resident Clive Small, who lives near the proposed Rolls-Royce plant, told councillors that Chichester could end up as a kind of "Birmingham-by-sea".

He said allowing the application could lead to more pressure on the countryside.

The plan was also criticised by Richard Hill, representing the Council for the Protection of Rural England, who said there were brownfield sites available nearby where BMW could build.

He said the company was only interested in "a posh site on the Goodwood estate".

Councillors were given an estimate that the factory would give a £14 million annual boost to the local economy.

Council leader Jane Chevis said the scheme would provide job opportunities, particularly for local young people, who tended to leave the area after completing university courses.

Liberal Democrat Andrew Smith, whose ward includes the Rolls-Royce site, said he had only received one letter of objection.

The only councillor to vote against the scheme, Tory Mark Dunn, warned that it could "compromise" other sites.

BMW spokesman Fred Fruth gave the decision a cautious welcome.