Universal Studios announce details of first UK theme park
The UK Government has announced Universal, which owns major franchises such as Despicable Me, Transformers, and Kung Fu Panda, will be bringing a new multi-billion pound theme park to Bedford on the site of an old brickworks.
It will be the studio’s first theme park in Europe, adding to its tally of locations in Orlando, Florida and Beijing, as well as resorts in Japan and Singapore. The plans are extensive. It will take up 192 hectares (476 acres) of land, which is located 50 miles north of London and will include a 500-bed hotel and a retail, dining, and entertainment complex. At present, it is slated to open in 2031.
The site is expected to attract 8.5 million visitors a year and provide an injection of cash into the UK economy. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on April 9th there would be sweeping benefits across the spectrum.
“This is our plan for change in action,” he said. “Combining local and national growth with creating around 28,000 new jobs across sectors such as construction, AI, and tourism.”
All told, Starmer is projecting that the park will rake in £50 billion. 20,000 of those projected jobs will be in construction in the coming years, while 8,000 will be for operational roles when the park opens.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves echoed the Prime Minister’s enthusiasm and used the opportunity to make a broader statement about the country’s international standing. “At a time of global change, this investment is a vote of confidence in Britain as a place to do business,” she said. “Universal’s investment will bring billions to the economy and create thousands of jobs to the UK, putting more money in people’s pockets.”
Planning permission has yet to be approved, but in the lengthy negotiations leading up to today’s announcement, local government authorities have been strongly in favour of the project and have signalled their eagerness to see it move forward as quickly as possible.
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