Universal Great Britain - Speculation & Rumors

[extrobeiuf]

Difficult to imagine a reason where any government, or any parliament, would turn down a multi-billion pound foreign investment in the UK by Universal, which will create thousands of jobs, millions of pounds of tourist revenues and ongoing tax receipts for local and national governments.

You only have to look at the multi-billion car battery factory, where building in the UK was chosen over Spain for a recent example of where the government was involved in securing it, and of course where it being secured was then used as political collateral

Car firm to pick UK over Spain for car battery plant - BBC News

Insiders say the move, revealed exclusively by the BBC, is the most significant investment in the sector since Nissan came to Britain in the 1980s.

www.bbc.com

 

[Chessy]

I don’t doubt for a minute the government would be crazy enough to pass on the opportunity for large scale investment. I’m glad it’s not being left to local officials to approve any plans when they are put forward. I feel that’s where some issues come from (local councils), although in this case I think they seem pretty supportive.

 

[Ludus]

The announcement will be the last day in June I think as these things normally go

 

[Doug88]

My guess is June 3rd at 14:25pm

 

[rob@rar]

Old news, but still relevant I think. Jeremy Hunt, the UK's Chancellor (that's the Secretary of the Treasury for our American friends), met with NBCUniversal and Universal Destinations and Experiences executives while he was visiting Los Angeles last year, on 21 September, on a government trip to promote investment in the UK. There are many reasons why the Chancellor might meet with NBCUniversal as they have a multitude of business interests in the UK, but surely there's only one reason to meet with Universal Destinations and Experiences? I'd guess that's right in the middle of Universal's discussions with the UK government about their proposed building of the theme park at Bedford, and I think it's significant that Hunt met those executives in LA when he was on a West Coast tour as that absolutely shows seriousness of intent.

It's almost certain that Jeremy Hunt won't be the Chancellor after the general election on 4 July, in fact he might not even be an MP. But I don't think that a likely change in government will diminish in any way that seriousness of intent demonstrated by Hunt when he visited the Universal executives last autumn.

 

[Altonsky]

The shadow chancellor would have been informed about all this as well no doubt, as far as I’m aware they basically get sent all the details of any meetings etc anyway, because if she didn’t agree with it it’d be her job to say why and challenge it.

So Rachel Reeves (labours shadow chancellor) will be all clued up about any discussions that took place.

 

[rob@rar]

I think this is the first evidence that Universal are buying the residential properties on Manor Road: as of 30 May 2024, the company SC Collection Ltd (established in December 2023) is in the process of buying one of the Eastwood Cottages on Manor Road. SC Collection has the same registered address as all the other Universal companies located in the UK (Central St Giles, London), and the directors of SC Collection Ltd has the same company directors as Cloud Wing Ltd (who own all the land that Universal bought) and Kempston Hardwick Developments Ltd (also established December 2023). These directors include Page Thompson, Head of Universal New Ventures, and Oliver Canning, Chief Legal Council for NBCUniversal.

For background info, before Universal bought the landowners for the proposed development, Cloud Wing Ltd, the previous development proposals for the site did not include the land owned by the residential property owners along Manor Road. However, the proposals published by Universal now show that the land on which those residential properties is located is a part of the overall development, and owned by Universal. So Universal must be planning, or in the process of, buying all those properties so they are not literally in the middle of the resort.

 

[xtpower]

Some top sleuthing there Rob.

I did my own sleuthing .

Notification of Cloud Wing Uk Limited as a person with significant control on 5 January 2023

Clarification a second filed PSC02 was registered on 02/08/2023

We've got evidence that they were moving on this from as early as January 2023. My bad I looked further and turns out Cloud Wing and SC were owned by the same people until Universal took over Cloud Wing in late August.

 

[rob@rar]

Some top sleuthing there Rob.

I did my own sleuthing .



We've got evidence that they were moving on this from as early as January 2023.

What's new to me is that SC Collections Ltd is also a Universal company, and is registered for the purpose of real estate development. Although Universal buying a house along Manor Road is insignificant in the grand scheme of things (and seems obvious that they would want to do that), I think it indicates that work on the entire project continues even though Universal hasn't yet reached its go/no-go decision on whether to proceed with the theme park development. This includes buying up inconveniently located houses, presumably above market value to persuade owners that they are getting a good deal if they sell to Universal.

What I'm curious about is the proposed purchase of land and buildings on the West side of Broadmead Road. I think this might be just to the south of the land purchased by Universal. It is being bought by Harworth Estates Ltd, which mainly does residential property development. Perhaps they think that this site is in a prime location should Universal proceed with their investment.

 

[xtpower]

That might be a bit close to the Park for anyone buying a home to consider unless they're Universal fans and want close access. You'd think that outside of explansion plots for Universal, the close parcels of land would be suited for hotels and commercial places to exploit the sheer number of visitors.

 

[rob@rar]

That might be a bit close to the Park for anyone buying a home to consider unless they're Universal fans and want close access. You'd think that outside of explansion plots for Universal, the close parcels of land would be suited for hotels and commercial places to exploit the sheer number of visitors.

Yes, that's why I'm curious about it. Seems a bit odd. Although I'm not certain, I think the current owners of this land are the same directors who previously owned Cloud Wing, operating as Felix Developments Ltd. If they were selling to Cloud Wing or another company owned by Universal I think it would be evidence of more land acquisition by Universal at the site, but from what I can see there's no connection between Universal and Harworth Estates. I'm sure intentions will become clear in time.

 

[xtpower]

Yes, that's why I'm curious about it. Seems a bit odd. Although I'm not certain, I think the current owners of this land are the same directors who previously owned Cloud Wing, operating as Felix Developments Ltd. If they were selling to Cloud Wing or another company owned by Universal I think it would be evidence of more land acquisition by Universal at the site, but from what I can see there's no connection between Universal and Harworth Estates. I'm sure intentions will become clear in time.

Harworth Estates might be trying to pull a fast one, grab land they know will become primo Hotel/Park expansion spots for the market value and then sell at a grossly inflated price.

 

[rob@rar]

Harworth Estates might be trying to pull a fast one, grab land they know will become primo Hotel/Park expansion spots for the market value and then sell at a grossly inflated price.

Perhaps. I don't know much, actually, I don't know anything, about real estate development. That purchase could well have been in the works for some time, since before Universal's plan become public. Or Harworth cold be trying a risky strategy for potentially high rewards. But who knows? I certainly don't. But I'm pleased to see Universal buying up the property along Manor Road as that's a good sign, to me at least, that it's still full-steam-ahead.

 

[xtpower]

Perhaps. I don't know much, actually, I don't know anything, about real estate development. That purchase could well have been in the works for some time, since before Universal's plan become public. Or Harworth cold be trying a risky strategy for potentially high rewards. But who knows? I certainly don't. But I'm pleased to see Universal buying up the property along Manor Road as that's a good sign, to me at least, that it's still full-steam-ahead.

Yea, I'm not sure either and speculating would just be an exercise in futility.

But yea it is good to see Universal are buying up the properties, shows that things are progressing at a good pace.

 

[Dinosaurus]

What's new to me is that SC Collections Ltd is also a Universal company, and is registered for the purpose of real estate development. Although Universal buying a house along Manor Road is insignificant in the grand scheme of things (and seems obvious that they would want to do that), I think it indicates that work on the entire project continues even though Universal hasn't yet reached its go/no-go decision on whether to proceed with the theme park development. This includes buying up inconveniently located houses, presumably above market value to persuade owners that they are getting a good deal if they sell to Universal.

What I'm curious about is the proposed purchase of land and buildings on the West side of Broadmead Road. I think this might be just to the south of the land purchased by Universal. It is being bought by Harworth Estates Ltd, which mainly does residential property development. Perhaps they think that this site is in a prime location should Universal proceed with their investment.

That’s interesting! Where have you seen that SC Collections is the one buying the cottage on Manor Road?

 

[rob@rar]

That’s interesting! Where have you seen that SC Collections is the one buying the cottage on Manor Road?

From the Land Registry.

 

[MangoDance]

What's new to me is that SC Collections Ltd is also a Universal company, and is registered for the purpose of real estate development. Although Universal buying a house along Manor Road is insignificant in the grand scheme of things (and seems obvious that they would want to do that), I think it indicates that work on the entire project continues even though Universal hasn't yet reached its go/no-go decision on whether to proceed with the theme park development. This includes buying up inconveniently located houses, presumably above market value to persuade owners that they are getting a good deal if they sell to Universal.

What I'm curious about is the proposed purchase of land and buildings on the West side of Broadmead Road. I think this might be just to the south of the land purchased by Universal. It is being bought by Harworth Estates Ltd, which mainly does residential property development. Perhaps they think that this site is in a prime location should Universal proceed with their investment.

The land universal purchased was originally ear-marked for new homes, and already had some tentative permissions granted so property developers could purchase the land in the knowledge that homes would be given the go-ahead on it. The ground checks needed for a theme park are far more stringent, which is probably why we had the JCB's digging up ground samples the last few weeks, they don't want an EPCOT where a major attraction needs to be demolished due to sink holes or subsidence in ~10 years time.

Harworth Estates may already have been in the process of buying some of the land, and it's just not worth the effort cancelling it when nothing is confirmed yet. It's unlikely some sneaky dick-dastardly trick to blackmail Universal into giving them mega money. If the project gets classified as one of national importance, then they are legally bound to sell that land to Universal for market value + "fair costs", where as if they just cancel the purchase now they won't recoup the costs already spent, so makes business sense to wait and see.

 

[xtpower]

Was bored, so played around with AI and came up with a potential Mines of Moria ride.

 

[rob@rar]

Was bored, so played around with AI and came up with a potential Mines of Moria ride.

Love that.

An Escape from Moria attraction is the absolute top of my wish list for 'ride this before I die'. Rather than a regular indoor coaster I'd like something which enables a significant element of storytelling in particular scenes during the ride. So something powered which could have higher speed sections of an indoor coaster, but also slower speed sections, reversing directions, rotation, drops, shakes, or similar to really enable interactions with the story elements in particular scenes. It could very easily be a 'best in class' attraction which helps establish Universal Great Britain as one of the world's best theme parks. If Universal Creative could somehow capture the visceral excitement of Peter Jackson's Moria sequence I think there'd be days when I visited the park and only rode that attraction! If any Universal Creatives ever read this thread - go on, you know you want to...

 

[xtpower]

Love that.

An Escape from Moria attraction is the absolute top of my wish list for 'ride this before I die'. Rather than a regular indoor coaster I'd like something which enables a significant element of storytelling in particular scenes during the ride. So something powered which could have higher speed sections of an indoor coaster, but also slower speed sections, reversing directions, rotation, drops, shakes, or similar to really enable interactions with the story elements in particular scenes. It could very easily be a 'best in class' attraction which helps establish Universal Great Britain as one of the world's best theme parks. If Universal Creative could somehow capture the visceral excitement of Peter Jackson's Moria sequence I think there'd be days when I visited the park and only rode that attraction! If any Universal Creatives ever read this thread - go on, you know you want to...

If you took many of the elements of the Hagrid's ride and made it a Moria ride with the theming and scale of Moria it would be something spectacular. Doing a droptrack within a Moria setting and with a good animatronic would be so so good.