UK to quickly change into new residence of ‘one in all best Universal theme parks in world’

Fun is set to return to Britain with the opening of “one of the greatest theme parks in the world”.

US leisure giants Universal wants to turn a former brickworks into its first European destination, creating 20,000 new jobs and pumping £50billion into the UK economy over the next 20 years.

It has acquired 500 acres of land near Bedford with an option to buy 65 more as what bosses vow will be the biggest theme park in Europe expands.

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Page Thompson, head of ventures at Universal Destinations & Experiences, said the company had long viewed Europe as an opportunity to build “one of the greatest theme parks in the world”.

“After searching for many years we think we have found the right site in Bedford,’’ he added. “It’s not easy to find hundreds of acres of land in England to build a resort.”

Thompson, who has already helped build theme parks in Beijing, China, and Osaka, Japan, said construction investment alone would be “several billion pounds”.

At its new Epic Universe theme park in Orlando, Florida, due to open next year, Universal’s parent company Comcast is spending £5bn on zones based around film and video game franchises including Harry Potter, Super Mario and How to Train Your Dragon.

Thompson said while it was too early to say which franchises would be brought to the UK, the parks had unique elements allowing people to visit each and find something different.

One common theme is horror, including modern ghost rides and themed jump scares, and Halloween would feature in seasonal events at Bedford. The plans also include a free ‘CityWalk’ with restaurants and shops.

Though England does not get as much as sun as Orlando, Thompson said that had not held back the company’s parks in Japan and China.

The Bedford site, which will take six years to build, would employ 8,000 people but create at least 12,000 more jobs in services supplying the site from bakers to plumbers.

It would be a direct competitor of Disneyland Paris.

Universal would expect a third of visitors to come from overseas via Luton Airport and is working with the Department for Transport on possible railway stations at the resort and roads from the nearby M1 motorway.

The company is expected to ask the Government for financial incentives to help fund the development and its final decision on whether or not to proceed is likely to hinge on the outcome of talks.

But more than nine in 10 of locals surveyed were “positive” about the development. “This is the highest percentage of positive responses we’ve ever seen for any potential project,” Thompson added.

Managing director of Luton Rising, the council-owned group that controls the airport, Nick Platts said Universal’s plans enjoyed local backing because of the ripple effect of the theme park on the regional economy. “A lot of infrastructure investment has been north to south rather than east to west,” he said.

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