Universal Great Britain - Speculation & Rumors

[xtpower]

Yea, 128-130 acres seems the sweetspot. That measure tool is a blast to play with, it also illustrates the scale of the Lake Zone, it's 260-270 acres and yet it doesn't seem much bigger than the core zone that is 225 acres.

I watched a video today that thought they could do a small 'second gate' in the area, only the land is more than capable of holding an even larger Park than the Core Zone - it just looks small cos of the way it's laid out.

 

[ProjectUniversal]

Exciting times! I shall pop over tomorrow and see if they have finished yet

 

[bedfordmassive]

I might try to get to the exhibition on 18th though it sounds like there will be no new info that’s not on the site

 

[xtpower]

I might try to get to the exhibition on 18th though it sounds like there will be no new info that’s not on the site

You should go even if it's just to see what the local feelings are. If there's gonna be a contingent of locals who are vehemently opposed, they will be at these events.

 

[bedfordmassive]

Will do!

 

[yepthatguy]

Will do!

Do you reckon people will need to book tickets for the consultation days?

 

[JoeMcSqueezy]

All of this is so exciting!! If this turns out to be true, it's so cool to see we're getting seemingly a really juicy resort

 

[bedfordmassive]

Do you reckon people will need to book tickets for the consultation days?

Nothing on the site to suggest tickets.

 

[Rhian]

1) Wow this is going to be a very long construction thread and 2) it's neat seeing Universal go all-in being open about this from the very beginning. It's so different from years ago when it seemed like you couldn't glance at construction without security looking at you funny and now it's like they're letting everyone in the room with them as they do it from the start. Very cool!

Some of that openness probably has to do with local transparency laws but I'm not under the impression they're obligated to take it as far as they have in presenting it to the public this way and ensuring locals are in the loop. (If I'm off about that then please someone local correct me.)

 

[xtpower]

1) Wow this is going to be a very long construction thread and 2) it's neat seeing Universal go all-in being open about this from the very beginning. It's so different from years ago when it seemed like you couldn't glance at construction without security looking at you funny and now it's like they're letting everyone in the room with them as they do it from the start. Very cool!

Some of that openness probably has to do with local transparency laws but I'm not under the impression they're obligated to take it as far as they have in presenting it to the public this way and ensuring locals are in the loop. (If I'm off about that then please someone local correct me.)

Could that openness be them trying assauge doubt? After all we have a plethora of infamous failed projects in the UK. The London Resort alone is enough to cause ptsd simply by saying the name.

 

[yepthatguy]

Could that openness be them trying assauge doubt? After all we have a plethora of infamous failed projects in the UK. The London Resort alone is enough to cause ptsd simply by saying the name.

I think, like you say, the transparency and openness, is great. It’s all in the handling and approach for me.

I don’t think there are any laws as such in the UK that meant they had to do it this way.

I genuinely believe they would have ideally liked to keep it quiet for longer, but either way, right now they are doing the right thing.

I do suspect that regardless this will go ahead if Universal want it to. The UK gov have to do this, so it’s genuinely up to universal like they say. Thats why the top gov have been involved to fast track. Money is talking and it’s getting louder!! Haha.

These consultations should be interesting. It’s quite momentous for Bedford or any town this would happen in or near, I’ve seen rumblings on social media from people I know locally suggesting the turn out will be pretty big, and they are surprised they are only doing 2 consultations even at this early stage.

I’ve just got a feeling everyone in town will be down there.

Like a certain Simpson’s episode. Sorry everyone.

 

[Rhian]

Could that openness be them trying assauge doubt? After all we have a plethora of infamous failed projects in the UK. The London Resort alone is enough to cause ptsd simply by saying the name.

A part of that might factor, and I wouldn't be surprised if they took into why those other projects fell through.

Another factor I'm thinking is if Universal does build this they're also trying to get as many residents immediately around them out with some gentle financial nudging so they don't complain about living near a theme park later (the park can worry less about noise limitations), and they'll have time to plan a move. Any who stay should be fully aware of their new neighbor when the time comes and what comes with that. Honestly it seems a lot nicer of a situation than most people get elsewhere.

I think, like you say, the transparency and openness, is great. It’s all in the handling and approach for me.

I don’t think there are any laws as such in the UK that meant they had to do it this way.

I genuinely believe they would have ideally liked to keep it quiet for longer, but either way, right now they are doing the right thing.

I do suspect that regardless this will go ahead if Universal want it to. The UK gov have to do this, so it’s genuinely up to universal like they say. Thats why the top gov have been involved to fast track. Money is talking and it’s getting louder!! Haha.

These consultations should be interesting. It’s quite momentous for Bedford or any town this would happen in or near, I’ve seen rumblings on social media from people I know locally suggesting the turn out will be pretty big, and they are surprised they are only doing 2 consultations even at this early stage.

I’ve just got a feeling everyone in town will be down there.

Like a certain Simpson’s episode. Sorry everyone.

Yeah I don't think word was meant to get out this early. It's like "welp since you found this out so soon, here's what's up."

I don't think these sessions will be as exciting as a town hall meeting in Pawnee though.

 

[xtpower]

Thinking about potential reasons for people to be against it, everything in the PDF's addresses those very issues. Except perhaps the Manor Road people, but I have a feeling that they probs have the majority of those houses sorted already.

 

[LukiLu]

View attachment 21491

People have hinted at Universal exploring the possibility of a Universal Kids park for the resort. Get some parking garages and suddenly the phase 1 parking lot parcel seems perfectly sized for that.

That would still leave adequate space for a real second gate in the Lake Zone.

 

[Chessy]

I live in the north west and I know id be driving to the park. Getting the train I’d have to make about 2 changes I reckon so much easier to drive.

I feel the bulk of train users will come up from London and south in general. Especially with tourists who would visit London and want to tie in a trip to the resort. With potentially overnight stays.

 

[bedfordmassive]

Bedford ceased to be a regular stop on East Midlands Rail trains going further north than Corby a while back. I suspect with East West Rail it will become a regular stop again. That would mean direct connections to Nottingham and Sheffield at least which would be helpful.


Thameslink has northern terminus at Bedford, but actually the line actually runs all the way to south coast (Brighton) so that’ll definitely be busy.

 

[Chessy]

Bedford ceased to be a regular stop on East Midlands Rail trains going further north than Corby a while back. I suspect with East West Rail it will become a regular stop again. That would mean direct connections to Nottingham and Sheffield at least which would be helpful.

View attachment 21503
Thameslink has northern terminus at Bedford, but actually the line actually runs all the way to south coast (Brighton) so that’ll definitely be busy.

Looking at that could potentially just be one change. Just depends where you’re situated in the UK I guess. I just don’t think they should underestimate how many people may arrive by car, but if there is more incentive to travel by train then a good portion will do.

Folks coming from as far a field as the far north, Scotland and the south west would probably do overnight stays due to distance.

 

[Altonsky]

I live in the north west and I know id be driving to the park. Getting the train I’d have to make about 2 changes I reckon so much easier to drive.

I feel the bulk of train users will come up from London and south in general. Especially with tourists who would visit London and want to tie in a trip to the resort. With potentially overnight stays.

Yeah I’m north midlands way, on the cusp of the NW and it’d be 2/3 changes for me so driving would be the only option.

Which tbh is easy enough, just the A50 to East Midlands Airport then straight on the M1.

The west cost mainline isn’t as accessible, not to the new stations they want to build/expand. But maybe they’ll have shuttle busses from Milton Keynes which is on the WCML and not too far away. That then opens up more options to the Midlands, NW and Scotland.

The Harry Potter studio tour runs shuttle busses so I’d imagine this is almost certainly a possibility, they’d be daft not to do it anyway.

 

[JoeMcSqueezy]

People have hinted at Universal exploring the possibility of a Universal Kids park for the resort

If I'm being real, I don't see much of a need for a Kids Park when the Resort will already have one, maybe even two, full sized Theme Parks that will assumedly have a good amount of family friendly attractions in them. I think what's more likely instead of that could potentially be a small Water Park, like they're looking to build in Universal Beijing, though that's just my opinion

 

[bedfordmassive]

But maybe they’ll have shuttle busses from Milton Keynes which is on the WCML and not too far away.

I think the North/South services between London and e.g. Manchester pass through but don't usually stop at Bletchley. Bletchley is on the East/West rail line which will have a station at Universal GB. So, there would be 2 ways to improve on shuttle busses from MK to Universal:

1) Stop WCML trains at Bletchley - this might be in the plans anyway so as to create a direct interchange between West Coast Mainline and East West Rail.

2) Run trains direct from MK to Universal and beyond on the EWR line. Im not sure if this is in EWR plans at the moment - there is certainly plan to run trains from Oxford to MK, but I'm not sure if those trains then go back down to Bletchley and continue East or return West to Oxford.

I'd guess option 1 is in the plans for EWR. It would seem logical to have interchange with EWR an WCML (Bletchley), EMR (Bedford) and East Coast Mainline (St Neots?)