Universal Great Britain

[rob@rar]

Another update from Bedford Council regarding the Universal proposal, confirming much of what we know already. Looks like the election has slowed things slightly, as we've discussed. Nice to see that there is work examining options for improving the M1/A421 interchange at Junction 13. Currently sees queues at peak times, and likely to get significantly worse at kicking out time from the park. This was one of the issues raised by locals as needing consideration.

 

[rob@rar]

Looking through Bedford Council's updates to the Planning Inspectorate on their Local Plan 2040, I think confirms what I've suspected for a little while. Land on the northern parcel labelled Mixed Use in the Phase 2 plan is likely to be taken up at least in part by housing developments rather than anything directly related to theme park(s). Bedford Council will work with Universal to determine the scale of any residential development on the land that they now own so that the likely contribution to housing supply in the borough can be assessed.

 

[Steeb]

Another update from Bedford Council regarding the Universal proposal, confirming much of what we know already. Looks like the election has slowed things slightly, as we've discussed. Nice to see that there is work examining options for improving the M1/A421 interchange at Junction 13. Currently sees queues at peak times, and likely to get significantly worse at kicking out time from the park. This was one of the issues raised by locals as needing consideration.

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Thanks for sharing these! Am I right in thinking this is the first public mention of the 2030 date?

 

[rob@rar]

Thanks for sharing these! Am I right in thinking this is the first public mention of the 2030 date?

Doesn't Universal's project website infer a 2030 opening date? Six years to design and build the theme park from where we are now, 2024?

 

[Steeb]

Doesn't Universal's project website infer a 2030 opening date? Six years to design and build the theme park from where we are now, 2024?

Yes, but that's kinda my point. Not inferred. To me "6 years" means anything less than 7, which could technically could have made it 2031.

 

[rob@rar]

Yes, but that's kinda my point. Not inferred. To me "6 years" means anything less than 7, which could technically could have made it 2031.

Given that there are so many moving parts in a project of this scale I think it's difficult to assign the "official" label to anything at this point, from Universal or other major stakeholders, if by that we are looking for certainty about when the park will open. I think "infer" is probably the best we can do at this point. I doubt even Universal itself could say when it will 'officially open'.

 

[Steeb]

Given that there are so many moving parts in a project of this scale I think it's difficult to assign the "official" label to anything at this point, from Universal or other major stakeholders, if by that we are looking for certainty about when the park will open. I think "infer" is probably the best we can do at this point. I doubt even Universal itself could say when it will 'officially open'.

I not "looking for certainty", I just thought it was an interesting thing to point out and maybe discuss, but nevermind eh?

 

[rob@rar]

I not "looking for certainty", I just thought it was an interesting thing to point out and maybe discuss, but nevermind eh?

I think at this point the opening date is an unknowable bit of information. Having said that, my best guess for the opening date is 10 April 2030

 

[Steeb]

I think at this point the opening date is an unknowable bit of information. Having said that, my best guess for the opening date is 10 April 2030

Not quite sure what's made you decide being patronising was a good option here. Also you are completely missing the point in an attempt to talk down to me for some reason.

 

[rob@rar]

Not quite sure what's made you decide being patronising was a good option here. Also you are completely missing the point in an attempt to talk down to me for some reason.

What? I'm absolutely not trying to talk down to you. Why would I want to do that? I'm simply expressing my opinion.

 

[Jake S]

I'm not even sure what this argument is about, but let's put a lid on it. the park will probably, hopefully, maybe open sometime in the 2030s.

 

[Steeb]

What? I'm absolutely not trying to talk down to you. Why would I want to do that? I'm simply expressing my opinion.

This isn't a hard one to work out mate. I questioned if it was the first public mention of 2030 in any form, and you then started explaining to me why the opening date isn't easy to predict.

 

[rob@rar]

This isn't a hard one to work out mate. I questioned if it was the first public mention of 2030 in any form, and you then started explaining to me why the opening date isn't easy to predict.

I'll take on board the friendly advice from the Moderator.

 

[Steeb]

I'll take on board the friendly advice from the Moderator.

Same

 

[TheUniC6]

I'm not even sure what this argument is about, but let's put a lid on it. the park will probably, hopefully, maybe open sometime in the 2030s.

If I had to guess an exact year, probably 2031.

 

[yepthatguy]

I contacted the email address on the website asking if the public footpaths are still okay to use since all the “no trespassing” signs went up, but have had no response.

A couple of other locals said they emailed about simple things but didn’t get a reply.

I’m assuming the inbox stopped being monitored when the consultation finished even though it’s the address they send the mailing list from.

 

[Mike2024]

Hopefully, now that election time is almost over, and updates on the project will no longer be delayed, so news on the project will start trickling in, from next week. Especially whether or not the project is going ahead. I'm very interested to find out.

 

[Doug88]

The election won't have anything to do with Universal Studios planning and due diligence. Due diligence is basically checking into the facts and if you can make it work. The result of a general election is not something they can control so they won't be thinking about it.

 

[Mike2024]

The election won't have anything to do with Universal Studios planning and due diligence. Due diligence is basically checking into the facts and if you can make it work. The result of a general election is not something they can control so they won't be thinking about it.

I wasn't assuming the election outcome would affect their decision going forward, only that Universal were keeping quiet about the project during the election campaign, so it couldn't be mistaken as them interfering in some way. I'm not really sure how these things work. I had heard that there might have been news in June coming, but the election was announced after that rumour, and no news came.

 

[yepthatguy]

I wasn't assuming the election outcome would affect their decision going forward, only that Universal were keeping quiet about the project during the election campaign, so it couldn't be mistaken as them interfering in some way. I'm not really sure how these things work. I had heard that there might have been news in June coming, but the election was announced after that rumour, and no news came.

Welcome to the forum Mike.

I agree. I feel like they are staying well out of any election business and am hoping when it’s all over they’ll be back to keeping us excited with more updates and more.