Proposals to build a new �85m Rolls-Royce manufacturing centre near Glasgow Airport have cleared their final hurdle.

The company will transfer 1,000 staff from its existing Hillington factory to the new 50,000 sq m state-of-the-art plant.

Rolls-Royce considered nine different sites for the facility before choosing Inchinnan - a decision that was made subject to planning permission.

We can press ahead with building a new centre of excellence for aerospace component manufacturing in Scotland

Royan Anthony Rolls-Royce

It has now emerged that the Scottish Executive will not call in the proposals, a step which can delay the process by several months.

That decision was welcomed by divisional managing director Royan Anthony, who said: "This is great news for Scotland as well as for Rolls-Royce and its workforce at Hillington.

"Now we can press ahead with building a new centre of excellence for aerospace component manufacturing in Scotland.

"I would like to thank the Scottish Executive, Renfrewshire Council for granting us planning permission and Scottish Enterprise for its support throughout this process."

Work on the building - which should take 10 months to complete - is expected to start shortly.

The plant is to be built near Glasgow Airport

Employees and equipment will be transferred from Hillington between 2003 and 2005.

The company announced in June that Inchinnan was its favoured site as the replacement for Hillington, a plant which dates back more than 60 years.

It was built during WWII as a factory for Merlin engines, which powered Battle of Britain Spitfires and Hurricanes.

The new factory, which is being sited on a brownfield site, will make components which go into the majority of the company's gas turbines used in the civil aerospace, defence, marine and energy markets.

Rolls-Royce said Inchinnan had proven the most attractive location for the highly-skilled Hillington workforce, most of whom live locally.

Managers also said it had good transport links and that it could be made available in the required time.