Last year, Universal confirmed the purchase of an approximately 476-acre (192-hectare) parcel of land south of Bedford with the goal of exploring a potential new park and resort experience at this site. We have spent the last several months undertaking feasibility and due diligence work and discussing the project with local and national stakeholders. It will still be some time before any decisions are made on whether or not to proceed with the project, however we want to share our proposal with local communities.

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 as well as discussing the project with local and national stakeholders.

We are now beginning a period of public engagement in connection with the planning proposal for this potential project. On this website you can find further details of the project and how you can share your feedback.

This period of public engagement represents an important milestone in our feasibility and due diligence work and is a key part of the planning process; it does not mean we have made a final decision on this potential project. It is really important we hear from local communities before our engagement closes on Friday 3 May 2024 so we can consider and incorporate your feedback where appropriate.

The location of the potential development is outlined in red below.

The site in Bedford is in an ideal location with convenient, fast rail links to London and London Luton Airport. In addition, the site and Bedford are well-connected for travel from all parts of the UK and Europe. The East West Rail (EWR) project also plans to deliver additional transport improvements for the region, specifically improvements to the existing railway between Bletchley and Bedford.

The site has been identified by Bedford Borough Council for development for some time and it has the size and flat topography that is important for a large-scale theme park resort.

This project has the potential to be transformative for Bedford and deliver significant benefits for the UK economy. Our developments create thousands of jobs, help to drive footfall to existing local businesses, and unlock major investment into other local enterprises and infrastructure.

Should we proceed with this project, the benefits would include:

• The creation of an expected 8,000 new jobs once operational, rising to 10,000 by year 20 of operation, which would be advertised locally first where feasible.
• Thousands of jobs generated through construction, with an estimated onsite peak workforce of 5,000.
• Increased local employment opportunities. Initial estimates suggest that over 75% of the workforce would come from Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.
• Dedicated training programmes. We invest significantly in our people with training and development programmes. A range of jobs at different experience levels would be created, each with genuine growth opportunities.
• The facilitation of significant infrastructure improvements, including major road and rail upgrades.
• A major boost to local and UK tourism, with the expectation that for every job created at the park, 1.5 further jobs would be created throughout the UK economy.
• Partnerships with local education institutions and businesses.

For further details, we would encourage everyone to look at board four in the information pack.

Universal Destinations & Experiences has five branded theme parks and resorts across the globe, including Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Beijing Resort and Universal Studios Singapore. Each of these world-class resorts feature thrilling, immersive attractions, exceptional hotel and resort options, unique merchandise and culinary experiences as well as live and virtual entertainment.

Each theme park is unique and allows guests to be fully immersed in different experiences. If we were to proceed with this potential project, we would like to continue exploring with local stakeholders, including the Council, how we could reflect and celebrate this area’s vibrant history in our plans.

One route for securing the necessary planning approvals to move ahead with our investment is through planning permission granted directly by Government, via a special development order (SDO), where appropriate following consideration by a Secretary of State. The decision to determine whether this route is appropriate is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has agreed to act as the sponsor for the project within Government. The Government has indicated that the consideration of any proposal will be subject to administrative arrangements to ensure functional separation between DCMS as sponsor Department and the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as planning decision-maker. It is anticipated that public consultation by DLUHC will be carried out prior to any planning decisions, should we decide to take the project forward.

Our planning submission would be accompanied by an Environmental Statement, which will be publicised and subject to consultation with statutory consultation bodies and the public.  The Environmental Statement, together with any other information which is relevant to the decision, and any comments and representations made on it, must be taken into account in deciding whether or not to grant consent for any proposal.

Yes, collaboration and community engagement are at the core of any new experience we explore and we will be engaging with relevant stakeholders in a number of ways.

An information pack can be found on this website and we will also be hosting two public exhibitions in the local area in mid-April (for more details see here). You can provide feedback by using the survey on this website.

We recognise the tremendous excitement our developments bring, however, it is still too early in the process to know the possibilities of featured attractions and experiences. Should we proceed with the project, we would confirm these at a later stage.