Government approves Universal Studios UK theme park with construction set to start as soon as next year

The government has given the green light to plans by US media giant Universal to build the biggest theme park in Europe on a site in Bedfordshire.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced its approval of the special development order for the 476-acre Universal Studios UK scheme yesterday.

UK-based consultants currently involved in the project include WSP, which is working on multiple roles including transport, sustainability and utilities. London planning consultant DWD is working on planning while public engagement is being led by LCA, formerly London Communications Agency.

Located on a former brickworks site near Kempston Hardwick, Universal Studios UK is being envisaged as a direct competitor to Disneyland Paris, the most visited tourist attraction in Europe.

Outline plans submitted to the government in July set out design parameters for the park including plans for new habitat creation and maximum heights.

The tallest non-habitable structures, set to be concentrated in the park’s ‘core zone’, could reach up to 115m, which would make them the tallest rides in Europe.

Universal said the design approach to individual heights of structures will follow the ’open sky concept’, which aims to create a “varied and interesting” skyline across the site in order to maintain visual interest and to help reduce landscape and visual impact.

The proposals will now be set for a period of statutory parliamentary review but the first ‘primary phase’ of construction could start as soon as next year, opening in 2031 after a five-year construction period.

Later phases of the project would be built out over the next 20 years with full completion of the park expected by 2051, according to planning documents.

Page Thompson, president of new ventures at Universal Destinations and Experiences, said the government’s approval as “another important milestone” for  the project, which has been consistently supported by the government since the plans were unveiled in April.

“In the months ahead, we are committed to sharing progress as well as what to expect including job opportunities and how local businesses and suppliers can potentially work with us,” Thompson added

Previously released images of the proposed park show a number of areas reportedly set to be themed around media franchises including James Bond, Paddington and The Lord of the Rings.

The park will also contain a 500-room hotel and a retail, dining and entertainment complex, along with upgrades to the nearby Wixams railway station, a new station on the East West Rail line near the resort and new slip roads off the A421.

The 541-acre Universal Studios Florida, one of the most visited theme parks in the world, was the first of a chain which now includes parks in Los Angeles, Japan, China and Singapore.