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| Location | Kempston Hardwick, Bedford, England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°05′19″N 0°29′59″W / 52.088598°N 0.499829°W |
| Status | Planned |
| Opened | unknown |
| Owner | NBCUniversal (Comcast) |
| Operated by | Universal Destinations & Experiences |
| Theme | Show business and Universal entertainment |
| Operating season | Year-round |
| Area | 192.63 hectares (1.9263 km2; 476.0 acres) |
| Website | universalukproject |
Universal Studios Great Britain is a proposed theme park and resort in Kempston Hardwick, Bedford, first confirmed on 19 December 2024 by Universal Destinations & Experiences [1]. The project is pending approval from NBCUniversal following feasibility analysis and due diligence work. If greenlit, the resort will initially encompass a theme park, 500 room hotel and entertainment/dining district. [2]
History
Universal Studios originally considered construction of a theme park in the United Kingdom between the late 1980s and early 1990s, to be built on the abandoned Rainham Marshes site in east London - this was then changed in favour of later cancelled development of a park in France. [3] [4] The project in its current form was first referenced via online forums stating that Universal Studios were developing an attraction for the United Kingdom [5] - it was then discovered that 473 acres of land had been purchased by Cloud Wing UK Ltd., a company acquired by Comcast in August 2023. This was later confirmed by NBCUniversal in December 2023, thought it was noted that they were in the early stages of exploring feasibility and no decision had yet been made to progress with the resort. [6] Flyers were later sent to Bedford residents by Universal to introduce themselves and confirm their intentions with the project.
Development
In April 2024, Universal announced via their website that they were holding public engagement sessions for locals to gain reviews and opinions on the potential project, along with online forms. In these sessions, more details about the proposed resort were discussed, including a potential masterplan and information about their proposed design standards, transport links and referencing previous collaborations with local communities for their international resorts. [7] Since purchasing the land, numerous land tests and excavations have taken place to ensure the land is appropriate for construction. If a decision is made to proceed and planning permission is granted, construction would create a total of 20,000 jobs and 8,000 new jobs once the resort opens - Universal anticipate generating nearly £50 billion for the UK economy during construction and first 20 years of operation. [8] Construction would take up to 6 years after the acceptance of planning permission, though enabling works would start from late 2025.
Areas
The land for the project will be split into 4 areas - Lake Zone, Core Zone, West Gateway Zone and East Gateway Zone. The Core Zone will be the primary area for the resort initially with the main theme park, entertainment district, parking and transportation hub set to be built in that area. The Lake Zone will hold temporary construction along with a large restoration area and surrounding landscape area - parts of this will change to mixed use later in the life of the project. The East and West Gateway Zones will serve as transportation hubs on either side of the central areas.
IPs, rides and brands have not yet been confirmed for the resort, however Universal Destinations & Experiences president Page Thompson confirmed that the "world-class park" would feature experiences based on "the most popular films, video games and stories". [9]. It has also been confirmed that the park would be open 365 days a year and feature seasonal events such as Halloween Horror Nights.
Transport
Universal anticipate 35-40% of visitors would travel to the resort via trains - this will be facilitated by two new rail stations on either side of the park, one located on in the East Gateway Zone serving as a station for the nearby town of Wixams and the other in the West Gateway Zone close to the town of Wootton. Upgrades to the local road infrastructure are also planned with dedicated slip roads from the A421 and an upgraded Manor Road. The park would also be easily accessible from London airports and London Luton airport providing air transport close to the resort. [10]
Resorts
A 500 room hotel would be built within the Core Zone of the land - however it is likely that more hotels would be built surrounding the area. [11]
References
- ^ https://www.bedfordindependent.co.uk/breaking-news-universal-studios-confirm-they-are-planning-a-theme-park-in-bedford-borough/
- ^ https://news.sky.com/story/first-universal-theme-park-in-europe-to-generate-50bn-of-economic-benefits-for-uk-13158683
- ^ https://www.lesoir.be/art/euro-disneyland-a-marne-la-vallee-au-rendez-vous-de_t-19900312-Z02G2M.html
- ^ https://variety.com/1993/biz/news/mca-in-talks-to-become-euro-disney-neighbor-105883/
- ^ https://forums.insideuniversal.net/threads/the-future-of-portaventura.15724/page-17#post-1022233
- ^ https://deadline.com/2023/12/universal-may-build-new-theme-park-uk-near-london-1235677942/
- ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz5zd5vg01yo
- ^ https://blooloop.com/theme-park/news/universal-uk-theme-park-50-billion-economic-benefits/
- ^ https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/universals-first-european-theme-park-33111640
- ^ https://universalukproject.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/UniversalUKProject.InformationPack.April-2024.pdf
- ^ https://news.sky.com/story/first-universal-theme-park-in-europe-to-generate-50bn-of-economic-benefits-for-uk-13158683