Latest news with #UniversalThemePark
The Sun
10 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
UK's first Universal theme park with 500-room hotel & blockbuster rides takes step closer to opening in £50bn boost
THE UK's first Universal theme park has taken a huge step closer to opening. Online forms for people to register interest in working at the new Universal theme park have been distributed online. 3 3 The new park will create 28,000 jobs An estimated 28,000 jobs will be created by the theme park bringing in £50 billion for the economy. The park will create roughly 20,000 jobs during construction and a further 8,000 when open. The park is expected to open its doors in 2031 but no formal planning application for its construction has been submitted yet, it has been slated for a site in Bedfordshire. The news that the government was backing plans to build the park broke in April. People can already register interest in jobs Now in a major step towards opening Universal has launched online forms for people to fill out and register interest in taking on a job at the new park. Businesses can also now register interest in becoming suppliers for the theme park. The forms state that there is expected to be a "significant" number of opportunities for businesses across various sectors. If planning permission is granted construction at the massive 476-acre site will begin in 2026. The park is to be built on a former brickworks in Bedfordshire with a preliminary opening date of 2031. The online forms for people who want to work at the new theme park read: 'Universal Destinations & Experiences, a unit of Comcast NBCUniversal, intends to build and operate the company's first-ever entertainment resort complex in the United Kingdom, located in Bedford, pending planning consent approvals. I was one of the first people in the world to visit Universal's new mega theme park – one attraction took my breath away 'This development will have a transformative impact on Bedford and the UK economy. It will be a major contributor to the creative arts and tourism industries, generating nearly £50 billion of economic benefit for the UK and creating thousands of new, high-quality jobs. 'We're committed to advertising these jobs to local people and will engage with the community at the appropriate time. While it may be some time before these opportunities become available, you can register your interest by completing this form.' Information for businesses that want to register their interest as suppliers for the park was also given. It reads: "'Should the project receive planning consent, it is expected there will be a significant number of opportunities for businesses created across a range of different sectors. 3 "We're committed to advertising these to local businesses and will engage with the community at the appropriate time.' Universal is set to offer a huge range of attractions The planned theme park is said to offer cutting-edge immersive experiences, high-speed roller coasters, innovative attractions, and world-class hospitality. The resort will also feature a 500-room hotel and is expected to bring in 8.5 million visitors in its first year alone. It is reportedly expected to include its own train station, an entertainment zone, and d ozens of attractions. What the new Universal theme park means for the UK By Kara Godfrey, Deputy Travel Editor UNIVERSAL Studios being given the go-ahead for a UK theme park is welcome news for rollercoaster fans. After the decade-long saga of the London Resort - a £3.5billion project dubbed the UK's Disneyland that was eventually scrapped - the new Universal park will be the first new theme park in the country in decades. Backed by both locals and now the government, it will also be the first Universal park in the UK and could have a number of themed lands including Harry Potter, Super Mario and Minions, although nothing has been confirmed yet. We have a way off until it opens, with it hoping to be ready by 2031. But with our Head of Travel Lisa Minot having a sneak peak at the new Epic Universe theme park in Florida (opening this summer) - it's certainly an exciting addition to the UK.
The Guardian
11 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Universal theme park deal secured with UK pledge to spend £500m on transport
The deal to build Universal's new theme park in Bedford was secured with a package of support that included £500m of public investment in rail and road infrastructure, it has emerged. Comcast, the parent company of Universal, is in negotiations over the final scale of the overall government assistance, which could be expanded beyond infrastructure investment. The entertainment company, which had been considering a number of countries to build the theme park, announced in April that it would build the attraction on a 192-hectare (476-acre) site at the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks. The significant government offer of financial support for the project comes amid a push by Keir Starmer and the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to kickstart sluggish economic growth. The approximately half a billion pounds in infrastructure spending comprises £270m in rail upgrades including a new station at Wixams, which had originally been planned more than 20 years ago, and about £200m for road works, according to the Financial Times which first reported the arrangement. Last year, Bedford borough council entered an agreement with Network Rail to construct a two-platform station at Wixams at a cost of £62.6m. However, local councillors said at the time that if the Universal theme park was approved it would need significantly more investment with a much bigger four-platform station. The government has said the theme park, which is due to open in 2031, will bring a £50bn boost to Britain's economy and create 20,000 jobs in construction, with a further 8,000 operational roles once it is up and running. About 8.5 million visitors are expected in its first year of operations, with Comcast estimating that the UK will take in an additional £14.1bn in tax over 20 years from the site. In April, the government overruled planning inspectors and approved an almost doubling of capacity at Luton airport, which is expected to be one of the main air hubs used by visitors to the park. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Comcast's plans are still to be scrutinised by the Planning Inspectorate, with a final decision made by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Comcast, the Treasury, the Department for Transport and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport declined to comment.
