Hollywood giant reveals plans for only theme park in UK to open 365 days a year – & may even have its own train
A HOLLYWOOD giant has revealed plans for a theme park which opens everyday of the year and may even have its own train.
The location will be the first of its kind to open in the UK and is set to boost the economy by a whopping £50 billion.
New details about the exciting idea have recently emerged as Universal Destinations and Experiences gears up for the attraction.
The company – which is owned by Sky parent group Comcast – bought a 476-acre site on a former brickworks in Kempston Hardwick, Bedfordshire, last year.
It has proposed building a major theme park resort on the site, and launched engagement with local residents and government.
A new report commissioned by Universal found that the construction of the project would create 20,000 jobs in the long-term, with 5,000 workers on site at its peak.
Once operational, the resort would initially create 8,000 new jobs in a range of roles.
The research also outlined that the project would deliver a boost of over £49 billion to the regional and wider UK economy.
This included a £35.1 billion contribution through the construction process and its first 20 years of operations.
It was also expected to generate up to £14.1 billion in extra cash returns for the Treasury for the same period.
The company has confirmed that the site is due to open 365 days a year, in line with the group’s other global resorts.
Page Thompson, president of new ventures for Universal Destinations and Experiences, said: “A world-class theme park and resort from Universal has the potential to generate billions in economic benefit for the UK.”
She added this can be achieved by “creating thousands of high-quality jobs and attracting millions of new visitors to the country.”
The company took part in a month-long public engagement process for its plans from the start of April.
It is understood that Universal is likely to seek planning permission directly from government using a special development order later in the year.
If it goes ahead, the construction of the site is likely to take at least five years.
According to the 16-page document, the new site could include features like a hotel, a retail, dining and entertainment zone as well as a Lake Zone, a restoration zone and a landscaped area.
The landscaped will aim to reduce the “visual impact” of the resort on the surrounding area.
As stated in the proposal, rides, attractions and buildings at the theme park would be capped at a maximum height.
They wrote: “The maximum height of any component would be 115m, while the highest occupiable floor of any building would be limited to 75m.”
Specific rides and attractions will be confirmed at a later stage, with the theme park adding: “We recognise the tremendous excitement our theme parks and developments bring, yet it is too early in the process to know the possibilities of featured attractions and experiences.”
The proposal does suggest that the Bedford-based theme park could have its own Citywalk.
Citywalk is an entertainment and retail space that typically operates close to a theme park.
They added: “Accessing CityWalk does not require a ticket, and this is where visitors and the local community could come for a unique
culinary experience, with themed restaurants like our Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, for example,
in CityWalk Orlando.
“CityWalk’s themed experiences are very dierent from typical entertainment and therefore are not direct competitors to the
leisure options that you experience in a town centre or on the high street.”
The theme park giant also plans to build hotels on its resort site – although they will not aim to compete with accommodation providers in Bedford.
If plans go ahead, a new train station will also also be constructed.
While Wixams Railway Station will be built on the Midland Main Line, a new station will also be built on the East West Rail line in close proximity to the resort.
It comes as a theme park dubbed the “best in Europe” by mums revealed plans for a brand new attraction next year.
Efteling, which first opened in 1952, is a fairytale theme park in the Netherlands.
The 180-acre theme park is often dubbed the Dutch Disneyland, while some mums even say it is the best theme park in Europe.
The up-coming attraction will see a new “royal gazebo” found between the Troll King and Mother Holle’s well.
The Princess and the Pea will be the 31st fairytale to be featured in the Fairytale Forest.
Works will start this autumn, with plans to open by spring 2025.
Major UK theme parks opening days
Alton Towers – 273 days a year
Thorpe Park – Closes for the winter
Paultons Park – Closed for the entirety of January, as well as partly during February, March, October, November, and December.
It has proposed building a major theme park resort on the site, and launched engagement with local residents and government.
A new report commissioned by Universal found that the construction of the project would create 20,000 jobs in the long-term, with 5,000 workers on site at its peak.
