Universal Great Britain - Speculation & Rumors

[bedfordmassive]

Yasin is on track for a very large majority this election.

He’ll want to be the local politician most associated with it happening to get him through the next election in 2029. His seat is usually a marginal when the tories are functional.

 

[yepthatguy]

Yasin is on track for a very large majority this election.

He’ll want to be the local politician most associated with it happening to get him through the next election in 2029. His seat is usually a marginal when the tories are functional.

At the Universal consultation I mentioned that it was interesting that the site was kind of half and half split across 2 the constituencies of mid beds and Bedford, and was duly told that the the boundaries are being changed after the next election.

That election has now been “called”… so technically there are no MPs right now, all positions are vacant.

And it looks like the boundary for mid beds is being extended around the north parcel of universal land, so not only does he need to get re-elected, even if he does, it won’t be in his constituency? Is that right?

https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/review2023/9bc0b2ea-7915-4997-9d4a-3e313c0ceb51/eastern/Eastern_078_Mid%20Bedfordshire_Landscape.pdf

 

[rob@rar]

And it looks like the boundary for mid beds is being extended around the north parcel of universal land, so not only does he need to get re-elected, even if he does, it won’t be in his constituency? Is that right?

Yes, I think so, the land Universal own now falls entirely in the Mid Bedfordshire constituency. Candidates in the election are:

SDP	Richard Brunning
Reform UK	David Holland
Independent	Gareth Mackey
Labour	Maahwish Mirza
Liberal Democrats	Stuart Roberts
Green	Cade Sibley
Conservative	Blake Stephenson

The seat has always been held by the Conservatives, except for the by-election last year when Labour won the seat following the resignation of Nadine Dorries.

 

[bedfordmassive]

Ooooh, interesting! I hadn’t realised that

 

[rob@rar]

Although it's fair to say that the economic impact of Universal's development will extend far beyond the site itself, so it's right that neighbouring MPs have a legitimate interest in what goes on within the Mid Bedfordshire borders. Anyone local know if Labour are confident of hanging on to the constituency they took last year (for their first time ever), or will it revert to the Conservatives (which has been the case since 1929).

 

[bedfordmassive]

I’d guess they are

New Seat Details - Bedfordshire Mid

 

[yepthatguy]

Thanks Rob, I missed this but this is the new labour candidate.

Labour select new parliamentary candidate for Mid Beds

Labour have selected Maahwish Mirza as their parliamentary candidate for the Mid Bedfordshire constituency.

www.thecomet.net

So if Labour win, which is sort of maybe expected, then she will be talking to the Universal people regularly I am guessing. I really hope she supports the proposed park, I genuinely think the locals want it.

The last elected MP has now moved to run for a brand new Hitchin constituency, he was only elected 8 months ago, but naturally loses his job because the election was called and it all resets. I think he’s landed on his feet though living more local to his new patch.

UK politics is bonkers.

 

[xtpower]

I tried to find out if she had a stance on the new Park, but couldn't find anything so I just decided to outright ask her. I'll post her reply if she does reply.

 

[rob@rar]

Comcast’s annual shareholders’ meeting takes place in a couple of days time. Wonder if that would be an opportunity for the Comcast Board to notify their shareholders of a proposed investment in a new theme park in the UK?

No seems to be the answer. The annual report and comments during the Shareholders' meeting didn't reference a new theme park in the UK, nor much else looking forward. I guess not a surprise as the annual report is about looking backwards to company performance in 2023, plus a series of regulatory actions such as election of Board members, approval of auditors, etc.

 

[yepthatguy]

It’s June 10th 2024, and it’s 11°c and raining in Kempston Hardwick.

Very little to NO wind. Its awesome.

Not officially summer yet though…

 

[Doug88]

Maybe they will wait until after the US election in November to announce something?

 

[Lost Meerkat]

Saw two ladies in hard hats and yellow jackets wondering around brickworks side of site yesterday, no idea what they were doing, no company names on clothing and had unmarked cars parked at entrance gate (which they had to climb over)
Not very exciting, but an indication that stuff is still going on.
PS I don't stalk the site but I do drive past a lot on my way to other places.

 

[Jake S]

Maybe they will wait until after the US election in November to announce something?

what the heck are you talking about

 

[TheUniC6]

Maybe they will wait until after the US election in November to announce something?

Chances are they are not going to announce UGB this year. They might announce it next year to capitalize on EUs momentum. However since Tomfoolery said "It will be a good seven years from now" implies UGB won't be opening until 2030-2031. Considering how EU was announced in 2019 with a 2023 opening in mind until the pandemic, UGB might not be fully announced/revealed until 2027-2028.

 

[Dinosaurus]

Chances are they are not going to announce UGB this year. They might announce it next year to capitalize on EUs momentum. However since Tomfoolery said "It will be a good seven years from now" implies UGB won't be opening until 2030-2031. Considering how EU was announced in 2019 with a 2023 opening in mind until the pandemic, UGB might not be fully announced/revealed until 2027-2028.

If Universal wants to start construction in late 2025 the project will need to be declared an SDO by autumn of this year, and as part of an SDO there’s another public consultation. That’s means they’ll have no choice but to speak about the project towards the end of 2024 if they plan to go move forward.

 

[rob@rar]

Chances are they are not going to announce UGB this year. They might announce it next year to capitalize on EUs momentum. However since Tomfoolery said "It will be a good seven years from now" implies UGB won't be opening until 2030-2031. Considering how EU was announced in 2019 with a 2023 opening in mind until the pandemic, UGB might not be fully announced/revealed until 2027-2028.

They might not have a big public announcement for some time, but if they are to get planning approval in order to start major construction by the end of next year (which I think they set out in their info published back in April) there will have to be some form of public and statutory consultation on their proposals, even if that is limited to their environmental impact statement, before they commence major works. Realistically I think this will have to have concluded no later than the first half of next year to enable major construction resources to be deployed later in the year, so I think that's the latest point by which we will "know for certain" it will go ahead, even if there hasn't been a big public reveal.

 

[bedfordmassive]

I’m not sure we’re all using the same definition of confirmed.

Even if they announced tomorrow that they definitely planned to proceed, that would be subject to many processes not in their control - as mentioned planning applications, consultations etc.

I expect what we’ll see is a gradual process of next steps (either announced by universal or apparent from site activity/public data sources) each of which reduces probability of pulling out/failure.

I suspect we’ll get some update this month or so which tells us they’re still moving forward.

 

[rob@rar]

I suspect we’ll get some update this month or so which tells us they’re still moving forward.

If I was John McReynolds, who seems like a savvy political operator, I'd not move forward during a general election campaign with a major project which clearly needs political support, and has been lauded by individual politicians of different parties as being great for 'their patch'. Too much potential for getting caught up in party political knockabout. I'm sure that McReynolds and Page Thompson will want to see which way the new government wants to proceed with planning permission issues before making further progress, and I can't see that happening before the autumn as new Ministers will want to get settled in to their new responsibilities and there's hardly any time for that before the summer recess.

 

[rob@rar]

I’m not sure we’re all using the same definition of confirmed.

Just on that point, aren't there two issues: Universal take an internal decision to proceed to a formal planning application; and the government (local or national) grant approval to that application. Both points are necessary before we can say it is confirmed.

 

[Doug88]

I told everyone they wanted to ban cars in this country. The greens are the first party to announce it. I bet theirs loads of younger people on here who will vote green. They want all petrol and diesel cars off the road full stop by 2035.