A deal has been signed to bring a Universal Studios theme park to the UK – along with an estimated £50bn economic boost and around 28,000 jobs. The location of the new theme park is Bedford.
The resort would be the first in Europe under the brand behind blockbusters such as Wicked, Harry Potter, Shrek and The Minions movie franchise – and joins six others around the world.
PM Sir Keir Starmer said the plans would “see Bedford home to one of the biggest entertainment parks in Europe, firmly putting the county on the global stage”.
ITV News’ Faye Barker and Olivia Guthrie explain.
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[Music] A thrilling prospect for the UK to be home to a brand new theme park to rival the world’s best. Universal plans to build one of the largest entertainment complexes in Europe. Something that could generate 50 billion pounds for the British economy and create 28,000 new jobs. So that’s the dream. The current reality is a 476 acres site near Bedford. once home to a former brick works. So this is where the station will be. But there are ambitious plans here looked over today by the prime minister and the chancellor. They say the deal with universal is possible thanks to better transport infrastructure and easier planning rules. There are promises too. Most of the new jobs will be for the local community. The statistic for that is really impressive. 80% of the jobs are going to be local jobs. So just looking behind me, these are going to be the jobs of yourselves and your colleagues for years and years to come. Um, and we will make sure uh that those jobs go to the people who absolutely need them because that’s part of our plan to get Britain working. Universal has parks across the world, but one in Britain could show off culture that is uniquely British. We are we are really great at the creative industries. Whether it’s James Bond, Harry Potter, Paddington Bear, we are a great place to invest and to showcase British talent. The government is clearly celebrating this deal with no shortage of smiles and handshakes. The major development will mean major change for this part of Bedfordshire. Plans are for construction to begin next year with the park due to open in 2031. FA Barker, ITV News. Well, Olivia Guthrie is at the site of that disused brick works where the park is to be built. Olivia, this will be a massive development, won’t it? And a real change in character for the area. How have the plans gone down where you are? Well, Gant, you’re going to have to use your imagination a little bit here, but in the next six years, the rubble that’s behind these rusty gates is going to be replaced with rides, roller coasters, and restaurants. Now, I came here today expecting to find some local concern to those plans and not in my backyard negativity, but after conversations today at a cafe in nearby Stewart, it would seem that Universal Studios is universally popular. Yes, it’s great. I think it’s a wonderful idea. It’s going to be busy. You know, it can’t be avoided, can it? But if they don’t build that, they’re going to be building thousands of houses. So, I think for the local community, it’d be much better to have that. It’ll open up a whole a whole range of jobs that we can give to young people and a big boost for your business hopefully. Fingers crossed. Fingers crossed. Well, all that is no doubt music to the ears of the government and investors today, but there are still a lot of hoops to jump through. The park still has to get through planning, which is never an easy process. But given the positive vibes here today, who knows? It could just whistle through to bring this new billion pound boost to Bedford and Britain’s economy.
50 Comments
Amazing news for the 🇪🇺 European economy.
But You Have Lost Lots of Buildings For It
"We're great at the creative industries"?! Erm, Governments aren't. They keep throttling the arts and those who work within them. Benefit changes haven't helped. Honestly, the only time you see politicians is when they're claiming credit for other people's work or announcing cuts to ruin peoples lives.
Sorry I see this as a waste of money. With the unrest in Britian, and a government in chaos….
Delete this video
Will the accommodation be taken over by a certain demographic?????….. I think I'll avoid the exotic region of Bedfordshire……… another industrial site turned into a Theme Park…like all our other industries…… don't forget VOTE REFORM on 1st May….👍👍👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
I hope they factored in the couple of months of summer we get if that.
I'm 90% on board. The cynic in me worries that this is an attempt at maintaining (and possibly further inflating) the cost of living in Bedfordshire. Basically everything in the area will cost more to take advantage of wealthy tourists, which will leave the people who actually live there to struggle more than ever before.
After thinking all that out loud, i'm more 50% on board with this.
More free tickets for Starmer and his kronies…
More jobs
Have they thought this through….closing a brickworks, to make something that's going to use a lot of bricks to build it… Doh…
The Asian lady behind Keir Starmer looks very disorientated at being there ? Hope she is know Chinese spy or something.😅
So more work for the immigrants 😅😅😅😅….
Screw universal studios great britain
uniquely british culture… you better build an on site mosque then
Quite close to me, once it's built, I'll go every year.
Now we know why the daleks chose to mine Bedford
Boycott it. I don't want to help the globalists
Disney vs. Universal and France vs. UK
I used to work in a small theme park. I grant that Universal, especially in it's early years, will attract a lot of people. I wish them every success, but my concerns revolve around this potentially killing the smaller, local parks, as well as the fact that 28,000 jobs, 80% of which being local, is quite an order for any theme park. Hopefully everything works out fantastically for everyone!
There will be less tourists from the UK going to Orlando, now.
Universal belongs to California or Florida. It's not British. I can see why Harry Potter World is a success as it is intrinsically British, doesn’t rely on the weather. It belongs here. I can't see foreign tourists travelling to Bedford to go to something the US does better.
We need Disney Land over here as well please make this happen.
So the uk is fucked people have no money and dippy bollox wants to build a theme park that no one will be able to afford to go to really makes sense
Shame that no Europeans will come doe to loosing freedom of movement and not being in the EU
Finally good news.
Except Europeans won’t come. There’s no freedom of movement and passports would be required and travel visas. It’s will flop because of this alone 🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺🇪🇺
ultra rare keir starmer w
The pessimism is almost laughable. People have been crying out for positivity and now there is some, people find a way to make it negative🤣
Make no bones about it, I'm no fan of Labour. And with planning and preparations taking years, it's very obvious that this was previously agreed with the dirty Tories as opposed to Labour. However, they can now take the credit. As far as I'm concerned, I couldn't care less who takes the accolades! Let's goooo!
Brilliant news. Can’t wait.
Bullshit
🐂 💩💨
Why next year? Start construction now
No National Enquiry For Child Rape Gangs But A Theam Park For Our Children, Discusting You make me Sick Absolutely Discusting!! 🤮🤬
Bedford?
Ban asbos and no facemasks, snoods etc. Don't need trouble making drill wannabe hoodlums. Clamp down on ticket touters etc.
😢 terrible news for the local villages!
do people of bedford know!!!???!!! the city will be famous for chavvy american ways!!! what do they think?
It better be Hogwarts there!
the be all and end all!!! prime minister says we're sticking it there!!! big raspberry blown!!! no turning back kind of way!!! oh dear!!!
Where's Ed milliband and the climate change cult?
Britain's more adult-ified and larger version of Disneyland, beats Disneyland itself to become the largest theme park in the whole of the United Kingdom, which could potentially show a sign that with rides and rollercoasters, there be a large cargo nausea and vomiting, Disney may suffer from us Brits, to show what a proud country to have our park being built here in the UK, for the first time. Maybe after this in 2031, I will look forward to see Woody Woodpecker and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit there. That will be great here for cartoon fans alike!
Distraction.
Won't create 28 thousand jobs , no way .
Traffic is already horrible in Bedford we will be fucked
Britain needs Disneyland
Bullodzered snakes
If Great Britain doesn't make entry easier, no one will come. We're in London next week, and the application process was extremely annoying! Greetings from Germany!
they cannot understand a single thing about how a country work but they pretend to know the benefits a theme park will bring!!!! …amusing!! just like the park…
will it have super nintendo world ??