Huawei R&D Facility

South Cambridgeshire District Council has given Huawei planning permission to build a $1 billion R&D facility in Sawston village.

The permission was granted despite reservations expressed by the Parish Council of Little Shelford about the development’s impact on nesting birds.

Others to object were the US Secretary of State and the US ambassador to the UK.

The only Councillor to vote against, Deborah Roberts, said: “I do not like Trojan Horses being wheeled through gates, whoever they are being wheeled by.”

The Chairman, ungallantly, told Mrs Roberts to “just be quiet”.

The council meeting was virtual and suffered from repeated breakdowns in the Chairman’s video link which prevented him from voting.

Huawei paid £37.5 million for its 550 acre plot at Sawston which will be the site of a facility staffed by 400 people.

The reliability of the area’s video transmission is expected to improve.