UK Universal Studios theme park to get go-ahead inside weeks with Florida-style resort coming to market city

A British Universal Studios theme park is set to get final go-ahead within weeks, the Mirror understands.

Only the Treasury is left to sign off on financial arrangements for the plan, which would see a full-scale Florida-style resort built near Bedford. The plan would see a four-zone park and 500 room hotel built on the 480-acre plot of land, along with a new train station and two transport hubs.

And it’s expected to create 20,000 jobs during construction, boost local businesses and pump £50 billion in to the UK economy.

“Bringing Universal Studios to Bedford is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the UK,” Milton Keynes MP Chris Curtis, said. “After decades of stalled attempts to establish a world-class theme park in Britain, I will keep campaigning to make this project a reality.”

Mr Curtis, who co-chairs the Labour Growth Group added: “This investment will put our region on the global map, drive infrastructure improvements, and provide world-class entertainment for families across the country.

“This is exactly the kind of ambitious, forward-thinking development that Britain needs to fuel growth, this government’s number one priority.”

The new park would take around six years to build, and would sit on the former site of Kempston Hardwick brickworks — once the world’s largest brickworks in terms of output.

“I can tell you it’s going to be a world-class park with all experiences that people will love based upon the most popular films, video games and stories that people have enjoyed for decades,” Page Thompson, the company’s president in charge of new ventures, told Sky News in June.

“We’ve spent the last decade looking all over Europe and the United Kingdom for locations, and we think this is the best location we’ve ever seen,” he added. “Our phase one plans consist of a theme park, a 500-room hotel and a dining area that people can come to even if they don’t have a theme park ticket.”

“Over time, I would expect the number of hotels to grow. Our intention is that this park would be open 365 days a year, just like all of our other major theme parks. We have a whole series of special events, like our Halloween Horror Nights and carnival parties… and it just allows us to attract people throughout this time,” Page explained.