Hold on to your hats folks, is this a sign that the UK may be getting a Universal Studios theme park that would be just 40 minutes away from London? Exciting news indeed, if so. We first caught wind of the nears last year that Universal has bought 480 acres of land at a former brickwork site in Bedfordshire as it explores the possibility of building a theme park and resort on the land. Following discussions with the community and local and national stakeholders, prospects are looking good!
The site, located in Stewartby just 15 minutes from Bedford, would be Universal’s first-ever park in the UK. The entertainment behemoth already counts sites in Hollywood, Orlando, Japan, Singapore, and Beijing. Universal’s theme parks have themed rides dedicated to films including Fast & Furious, Despicable Me and Jurassic World as well as whole areas dedicated to the likes of Super Nintendo and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal Studios has stated that the UK site (if it comes to fruition!) would be a unique offering, reflecting their franchise properties but also the area’s vibrant history.
Rumours of a Universal Studios in the UK
Rumours on expansion into the UK had previously been circulating and registered the domain names of universalstudiosgreatbritain.com and universalgreatbritain.com, as well as .co.uk extensions in September but this move to purchase land has been the furthest plans have gone.
Universal confirmed last year that they were still in the “very early” stages of planning, with a spokesperson for the company commenting, “We recently acquired land in Bedford and are at the early stages of exploring its feasibility for a potential park and resort at this site. It will be many months before we are ready to make a decision to proceed and we look forward to engaging with all relevant stakeholders and the local community.”
A Universal theme park would be a major attraction in Southern England, joining the likes of the Warner Bros’ Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter in Watford which opened in 2021 and has seen more than 16 million people visiting since it’s been open. Bedford was chosen because of its handy transport links, making for ease of travel from London and Europe thanks to its proximity to Luton Airport.
The latest update
The team behind the proposed theme park and resort recently released an update on their Universal UK Project site, summing up their discussions with the local community. The feedback and response they received for the potential theme park was overwhelmingly positive. In a letter sent to the theme park’s potential ‘neighbours’, they wrote:
In just four weeks, we met with almost 1,500 people during our in-person public exhibition events at Bedford College and Kimberley College and have engaged with nearly 100 local organisations to also hear their ideas and feedback.
Our engagement survey generated a great response. We had over 6,000 responses, the overwhelming majority of them from people in the nearby communities, and what we heard was remarkable – just over 92% of people surveyed are supportive of our potential world-class theme park and resort
The letter also recognised enthusiasm for the investment in the community that would result from the potential theme park and resort. The new attraction would create a huge number of jobs and provide opportunities for local schools, charities, and businesses.
The main concerns raised were the need for increased travel infrastructure and the potential visual and noise impact. As well as acknowledging that the construction would need to be careful and considerate, they agreed that they would need to improve rail and road travel in the area to deal with demand. They also pointed to their “track record of inward, immersive development at [their] parks around the world” to quell concerns about noise and sound.
So, will there be a new Universal Studios theme park in the UK?
Taking into account all of the above, there is still no clear answer as to whether or not Universal Studios will proceed with the proposal. In their FAQs they write: “Whilst we still haven’t made any final decisions on whether or not to proceed with the project, we have spent the past several months undertaking feasibility and due diligence work, discussing the project with local and national stakeholders and engaging with local communities on our proposal.”
For now, they’re taking the feedback onboard, and preparing a planning submission. We’ve got our fingers crossed!
See the proposals, and keep up to date with the potential Universal Studios UK theme park and resort here.