First Universal theme park in Europe to generate ‘£50bn of economic benefits for UK’

10 comments

1. I can only just imagine the community action groups and various ‘NOT IN KEEPING WITH THE AREA’ complaints that are being prepared, as hardcore NIMBYs do whatever they can to block this.

2. These numbers are always wrong. They confuse “benefits” and “activity”.

   I have no doubt that over the 20 year time frame they are using, the construction and operation of the park will involve £50 billion worth of trade being done in and around the park. Not all of it will be “benefit” to the UK unless you can establish where the spend is coming from. If Universal Bedford is simply drawing in tourists who would otherwise have gone to Thorpe or Alton Towers, it’s not really new activity. It’s just different activity.

3. More mostly minimum wage jobs which are likely to be seasonal.

4. A theme park that doesn’t have a prison food company as their main catering supplier? Yes please  

    If they do this right, it will benefit the performing arts and film industries too. Comcast have had the chance to cheap out on a lot since buying Universal. It just hasn’t happened. I think Epic Universe shows their ambition. I don’t see why they’d go from that to a cheap imitation.  

   It wouldn’t be mostly seasonal jobs, Universal would undoubtedly account for the weather

   Also three words…  Halloween Horror Nights

   NIMBYs I beg you. I truly truly beg you. Be gone.

5. If you have ever been to Bedford, you know it’s a town that sorely needs this sort of investment.

   The town centre is a failing high street. There are very few jobs available for young people. Pretty much the only nice thing locals say about it is that it has a nice river. Even the airlander blimp failed to bring any interest to the area.

   The old brickworks land that this site is being built on was probably destined to become distribution warehousing much like the other industrial estates in this area. I think having a massive tourist attraction will make Bedford a place worth coming to.

   Historically, these areas are brickworks sites. Old industrial areas that have been left.

   This is a good thing for Bedford and one of the biggest investments into a very run down forgotten town.

6. No high speed rail links from Europe direct though because London is like a giant sponge soaking up all the infrastructure investment.

7. Its a little optimistic to think people will travel to the UK to visit a flippin theme park which will no doubt be well over priced considering the location.

8. “More than half the country lives less than 2 hours away”

   Pain. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

9. Whoever greenlit this really doesn’t ask the proper questions and is surrounded by Yes men.

   The UK universal will be grim, grey, staffed with 16 year old McDonald’s rejects with the worst regional accents you’ve ever heard.

   Someone really had to acknowledge that the Americans just do theme parks and customer service infinitely better than us. It’ll be an absolutely dire and it’ll be development hell for it being built. When it finally opens, it’ll cost an arm and a leg and be atrocious.

10. I am really hoping for a UK Super Nintendo World. The Universal Studios park that has one in Japan is amazing, and the UK theme parks don’t even come close to how high tech it feels.