More than 18,000 people interested in Bedfordshire Universal theme park jobs
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 join six others around the world.
Universal said the park, due to be built on a 476-acre disused brickworks in Bedfordshire, will deliver "a world-class theme park with several themed lands featuring ... thrilling rides, innovative attractions and exciting entertainment, all utilising sophisticated and advanced technology".
The US firm posted an update on its website saying "strong interest and enthusiasm continues".
Universal said of the 18,000 people who had expressed an interest in a job, 80% live in Bedford and the surrounding area.
Around 2,000 suppliers also expressed an interest in working with the firm.
The project is estimated to be worth £50bn to the UK economy and would create a total of 28,000 jobs - 20,000 as part of the construction and a further 8,000 in the hospitality and creative industries once it opens.
There are some concerns in the local area that a Universal theme park could cause traffic issues and have an impact on private renters as construction workers move to the area.
In the latest update, Universal says: "The planning process facilitates open dialogue and feedback, and we appreciate Bedford Borough's commitment to that process and continued support of our proposed development.
"We are excited about the significant opportunities our planned project presents and remain fully committed to ensuring our SDO application is thoroughly vetted."
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ITV News
19 hours ago
- ITV News
More than 18,000 people interested in Bedfordshire Universal theme park jobs
More than 18,000 people have expressed interest in a job at the proposed Universal Studio set to be built in the UK. 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 join six others around the world. Universal said the park, due to be built on a 476-acre disused brickworks in Bedfordshire, will deliver "a world-class theme park with several themed lands featuring ... thrilling rides, innovative attractions and exciting entertainment, all utilising sophisticated and advanced technology". The US firm posted an update on its website saying "strong interest and enthusiasm continues". Universal said of the 18,000 people who had expressed an interest in a job, 80% live in Bedford and the surrounding area. Around 2,000 suppliers also expressed an interest in working with the firm. The project is estimated to be worth £50bn to the UK economy and would create a total of 28,000 jobs - 20,000 as part of the construction and a further 8,000 in the hospitality and creative industries once it opens. There are some concerns in the local area that a Universal theme park could cause traffic issues and have an impact on private renters as construction workers move to the area. In the latest update, Universal says: "The planning process facilitates open dialogue and feedback, and we appreciate Bedford Borough's commitment to that process and continued support of our proposed development. "We are excited about the significant opportunities our planned project presents and remain fully committed to ensuring our SDO application is thoroughly vetted."
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Once beloved of young girls, what has gone wrong with Claire's?
Claire's has been a staple on high streets across the UK and Ireland, since it first opened in Britain in 1997. It was the first shop my friends and I would run to after getting our £5 pocket money from our parents back in 2010 but, as we got older, we left it behind. Hearing of the closure, I couldn't help but feel sad, a part of my childhood was being taken away so I headed down to my local shopping centre, Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow, to see what's changed. Turns out, it's nothing. The shop looked as if it had been standing still in time since my last visit in 2018. Same purple interior, same packaging, same bright pencil cases and toys that cover the shop wall to wall. Sitting across from one of its competitors, Lovisa, whose stores are designed in a minimalist, luxury style, Claire's looked like a cluttered mess. Worse, while it was full of displays and posters for deals it was devoid of customers. So why aren't people shopping here anymore? While in the store, I reached for a white flower hair clip, nice, but nothing special. Turning it over to check the price, it quickly got put back. With the rise of Chinese online companies like Shien and Temu, it's hard to justify £6 for one hair clip when you can buy three identical-looking ones for only £2 online. I checked out a pair of cat ears on an early Halloween stall which were £8. Even those who don't shop online at cheap e-tailers know this is extortionate, one Google search later and a similar pair of ears was on my phone for £2.50 from Sainsbury's. Even the pencil cases were priced at over tenner. If I was going back to school, I know my mum wouldn't have let me go near them and would have me pick something from ASDA instead. Claire's reputation took a hit when stories of piercings gone wrong surfaced. As someone with many piercings, one of which closed over after I got it from Claire's, I think the retailer made a major strategic mistake here. The use of guns can cause swelling, longer healing times and potential complications due to blunt force trauma. When I passed my driving test, I wanted to celebrate. I made my way to Claire's and got my first cartilage piercing. It never healed. I had to take it out three months later. I spoke to a former customer who said: "I knew loads of people with infections and swore I'd never go back". Their Instagram and TikTok come across as lazy and uninspired. The two social media are a copy of one another. Instagram is an unorganised mess, posts look unprofessional, with dark lighting and low quality. @Clairesstores have eight highlights that are random and inconsistent. One highlight, 'Wicked' has only 2 posts, both of which are from last year. Scrolling through, I found only one professional-looking post, where they used fruit wedges to model different ear jewellery during summer. That was well done but it needs more of that. After my shop and scroll, it's no surprise Claire's is failing. A rebrand should have commenced years ago. Prices need to be realistic to attract pocket-money customers. The shops, of which there are 278 in the UK, can still be an easy go-to when you need some last minute hair gems, but that's often a last resort when there's no time to buy them off Amazon. And that's just not good enough.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Universal UK: 18,000 register for Bedfordshire theme park jobs
More than 18,000 people have expressed interest in jobs at the proposed Universal Studios theme park in the US firm has asked the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for permission to build a resort at Kempston Hardwick, near Bedford, and a public consultation is taking place until 31 has now posted an update on its website, insisting "strong interest and enthusiasm continues".The firm said more than 80% of the 18,000 people who have registered interest in working at the theme park live in Bedford or the surrounding areas. It is expected to attract 8.5 million visitors annually, with 55,000 visitors on peak days, making it one of the most visited theme parks in to the scale of the project, which included upgrading local roads and rail links, Universal required a Special Development Order (SDO) before it could start has claimed it will generate nearly £50bn of economic benefit and create 28,000 June, a form was added to the Universal UK website for people to register interest in "future job opportunities".About 2,000 suppliers have also expressed interest in working with the park. There had been some criticism from residents; those living closest to the site have told the BBC they felt "forgotten".Campaign group Generation Rent expressed concern that private renters could lose their homes when construction workers move to the council in the nearby town of Ampthill is worried the increased visitors could cause traffic their latest online update, Universal said: "The planning process facilitates open dialogue and feedback, and we appreciate Bedford Borough's commitment to that process and continued support of our proposed development."We are excited about the significant opportunities our planned project presents and remain fully committed to ensuring our SDO application is thoroughly vetted." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
