On nearly 500 acres of former brickyards south of Bedford, Universal wants to build Europe’s largest theme park, bringing the mega roller coasters and high-octane experiences of Orlando and Hollywood to East Anglia.
The US media group’s first foray into Europe could generate almost £50bn worth of economic value for the UK in its first 20 years, according to Page Thompson, head of the new Universal Destinations & Experiences arm.
Speaking in detail about the plans for the first time, Thompson said the company had long seen Europe as an opportunity to build “one of the biggest theme parks in the world”, adding: “After many years of searching, we think we have found the right place in Bedford.”
The company acquired nearly 500 acres — a mix of former brickyards and farmland — with an option to acquire another 65 acres.
Room for expansion is important to Universal: it often adds experiences and hotels to its site over time to encourage people to return. “We’re thinking 100 years into the future,” Thompson said.
Thompson, who has already helped build theme parks in Beijing and Osaka, said the construction investment alone would be “several billion pounds”, but declined to give an exact figure.
Comcast, the conglomerate and parent company of Universal, is reportedly spending $6 billion on areas based on movie and video game franchises, including Harry Potter, Super Mario and How to Train Your Dragon at Epic Universe. A new theme park in Orlando is set to open next year.
Universal has five branded theme parks and resorts. In each, Comcast, which owns Sky in the U.K., creates “experiences” around franchises: Escape from Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park or rides based on the Fast & Furious and Kung Fu Panda franchises.
Thompson said that while it is too early to say which franchises will be brought to the UK, the parks have unique elements that allow people to visit each one and find something different.
One common theme is horror – modern ghost rides and themed jumps have proved popular – and Halloween features in a number of seasonal events in Bedford. Plans also include a free “CityWalk” with restaurants and shops.
Although England doesn’t enjoy as much sunshine as Orlando, Thompson said that hasn’t held back Universal’s parks in Japan and China.
A research firm hired by Universal estimates that the net economic benefit of the site – compared to alternative plans for housing and warehouses on the site – would be £35.1 billion over the first 20 years of operation.
This figure combines tourism promotion, jobs created and resort construction and maintenance. Thompson said the government would collect an extra £14.1bn in taxes over the period, bringing the total to £49.2bn.
The theme park and resort is expected to create 20,000 jobs. Around 8,000 would be employed directly and the rest indirectly around the services that would supply the site, from bakers to plumbers. Thousands more jobs would be needed in construction, which would take about six years.
Thompson would not comment on where else in Europe the company looked, but said the Bedford site was the only one that would work for Universal in the UK due to its size, flatness and location in the country.
“It’s not easy to find hundreds of acres of land to build a resort in England,” he said.
By opening the site, Comcast will bring the long-standing US rivalry with Walt Disney to Europe. The main alternative for consumers in Europe will be Disneyland Paris, although there are other UK attractions such as Thorpe Park, Legoland and the Harry Potter experience at Warner Bros. Studios.
Universal, which expects around one-third of visitors to come from overseas via Luton Airport, is working with the Department for Transport on potential requirements for rail stations at the resort and roads from the nearby motorway.
Universal is expected to ask the government for financial incentives to help finance the development.
“The infrastructure is really not ready for millions of visitors. We need to build some roads and rail lines to handle more people. We would like support from the government to make the project happen.”
The government declined to comment.
No decision has been made on whether to proceed with development while talks continue and feasibility work is underway. Thompson said Comcast hopes to make a decision by the end of the year.
The site has been earmarked for economic development, Thompson said, which should help with planning.
The site includes the site of the former Kempston Hardwick brickyard, one of the main suppliers of brick to the UK construction industry, and some agricultural land; none are classified as green belt countries.
Thompson said recent community surveys yielded more than 6,000 responses. More than nine in 10 people said they were “positive” about the development; the rest (8 percent) were split between “don’t know” and “negative.”
“This is the highest percentage of positive responses we have ever seen for any potential project,” said Thompson.
Along with local MPs, government officials also support the plans. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has agreed to sponsor the project as part of the government, but the Department for Equalization, Housing and Communities will make the planning decision.
A letter sent to local residents in May following a consultation said there was “strong support for the economic impact” of the project but “some areas where you had questions or wanted reassurance”, including the need for infrastructure investment.
Nick Platts, chief executive of Luton Rising, the council-owned group that controls Luton Airport, said Universal’s plans enjoyed local support because of the theme park’s knock-on effect on the regional economy.
“A lot of infrastructure investment has been north to south, rather than east to west,” he said.