Thanet councillors held a special meeting to discuss the proposal on Thursday night. Supporters had said the scheme for a Chinese electronics warehouse - known as the China Gateway - could bring hundreds of jobs to the area. But opponents said the project at Manston business park would destroy farmland and affect water supply.

Thanet council said the application was approved subject to "tough conditions" which would be considered by the planning committee after further talks with the developers. A spokeswoman said the issues included water drainage, noise and light pollution, use of the buildings, landscaping on the site and car parking provision. She said the development plan included two distribution buildings, a Gateway building which would act as a showroom, 18 other employment units, two amenity blocks and a restaurant. The developers had signed an agreement with Chinamex - an investment company, supported by the Chinese Government - and the work was likely to include high technology manufacturing, she added. Campaigners against the development staged a protest meeting earlier in the week at Minster Village Hall.

A spokeswoman for the campaign said people were "extremely angry" at a lack of consultation about a major issue and were determined to make a stand. She said: "We've lost enough of our green spaces, we can't afford to lose any more." The Kent branch of the Campaign to Preserve Rural England also expressed concern over the development. Thanet District Council said it was aware of the issues that had been raised.