Prime Highlights:
- The UK government has approved plans for the country’s first Universal Studios theme park, to be built near Bedford on a former brickworks site.
- The project is expected to create 28,000 jobs, including 20,000 during construction and 8,000 permanent roles once the park opens.
Key Facts:
- The theme park will feature rides up to 115 metres tall, potentially the tallest in Europe.
- New transport infrastructure, including two new railway stations and road upgrades, will support the park and improve regional connectivity.
Background:
The UK is set to welcome its first Universal Studios theme park after the government granted planning permission for construction in Bedfordshire. The new attraction will be built on the site of a former brickworks near Bedford and is part-funded with £500 million in public investment for rail and road infrastructure.
Comcast, parent company of Universal and Sky, applied for the project through a special development order (SDO), allowing the government to approve the plans directly, bypassing standard local planning procedures. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) approved the scheme on Tuesday, though a parliamentary review period will still take place before the SDO officially comes into force on 12 January.
Mohammad Yasin, local Labour MP, described the approval as a “landmark moment for Bedford and the wider region,” calling the project “transformational and felt for decades to come.”
Comcast has announced that the park is expected to open in 2031 and will feature attractions “unlike anything that exists in the UK,” including rides that could reach heights of up to 115 metres. The government projects that the theme park will draw over 8 million visitors each year, generating an estimated £50 billion boost to Britain’s economy.
The park’s construction is expected to create 20,000 jobs, and once it opens, it will provide 8,000 permanent positions. Universal also said it will share updates on progress, job opportunities, and ways for local businesses to get involved.
Transport infrastructure improvements are already underway to support the project. Bedford Borough Council has coordinated with Network Rail to build a larger station at Wixams, and East West Rail Company announced a new station in Stewartby to serve the park. The developments aim to connect the park with major hubs, including Oxford, Cambridge, Milton Keynes, and Luton Airport, which recently received approval for expanded capacity.
