Universal Studios says it is exploring the possibility of opening its first ever European theme park in Bedford, England.
After launching their newest park and resort in Beijing, and now finishing up the upcoming Epic Universe theme park in Orlando, it seems the entertainment giant has set its sights on building its next full-scale park here in the UK.
Universal has confirmed a land acquisition in Bedford and says they are in the early stages of exploring feasibility for a potential park and resort at the site.
The company says it has purchased 480 acres of land at Kempston Hardwick that once housed a brickworks and is assessing the possibility of building what would be its sixth theme park and its first in Europe.
There are currently now five Universal Studios parks across the globe: Two in the US (Hollywood and Orlando), one Osaka in Japan, one in Sentosa in Singapore and another in Beijing in China.
Now Bedford, England is potentially set to join their ranks alongside a Texas park which is currently under construction.
Details of the UK plans were reported by Orlando ParkStop after it found that a website for ‘Universal Studios Great Britain’ had been registered by Universal’s parent company, NBC Universal.
Universal is believed to have taken an interest in the Bedfordshire county town because of its close proximity to London and the short driving distance to London Luton Airport, making it easily accessible to the world.
A Universal spokesperson said:
‘We recently acquired land in Bedford and are at the early stages of exploring its feasibility for a potential park and resort at this site.’
‘It will be many months before we are ready to make a decision to proceed and we look forward to engaging with all relevant stakeholders and the local community.’
Tom Wootton, the mayor of Bedford Borough Council, may have dropped hints about the site’s future a week ago, quipping that a £950m road upgrade in the area would put Bedford at ‘the centre of the universe’.
On the Universal announcement, he told the BBC:
‘The suggestion of a major business investment is of course positive, nevertheless these are early days and much detailed work is required before any decisions are made.
‘We very much welcome and are excited by the interest from Universal and the immense potential for it to be transformative for the borough.
‘We’re committed to ensure that any plans align with the best interests of our residents.’
In its more than 100 years of producing movies, Universal has been responsible for some of the world’s best-loved films such as Jurassic Park, ET and Back To The Future.
More details at: orlandoparkstop.com
