After Universal’s plans for a theme park in the United Kingdom were approved by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, two major contractors have now been confirmed to construct several facilities. The update includes an expansion to the land that will house the new theme park in Bedford, England.
Universal UK Entertainment Resort Complex
Universal has shared that ESP Utilities Group and Veolia are going to help design, build, and operate community infrastructure in Bedford. These include a new water treatment facility, water management, a new substation, an all-electric central energy plant, and low-carbon transport. These will serve both the new resort as well as the communities in the area.
The land that is expected to be the home of Universal Studios UK is southwest of Bedford, Bedfordshire. The area is located broadly to the east of the A421, west of the Midland Main Line, on the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks and agricultural land.
The site is divided into four main areas (not theme park lands): Core Zone, Lake Zone, West Gateway Zone, and East Gateway Zone.
The Core Zone is where the main Entertainment Resort Complex (ERC) will be, including the theme park, entry plaza, car and coach parking, hotel with at least 500 rooms, valet parking service area, a transport hub, and team member parking.
Universal wants this to be an “international destination” as opposed to “regional” or “local.” The theme park would be at least 32.37 hectares (excluding guest parking) with an “emphasis on highly immersive storytelling and theming with international draw, focused on providing a first-class guest experience.”
The resort is designed to accommodate 8.5M annual visitors with 55,000 per peak day in the opening year. They expect 12.5M visitors in the year following the opening.
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