Universal Great Britain

[yepthatguy]

Now that the reporting seems to have died down, what chance do the cognoscenti and insiders on this forum think this park has of happening?

In my (humble) opinion I’m going to go with 95% chance of it happening.

I am admittedly optimistic, even though the idea of this is still blowing my mind.

The first thing to note in my view is that if this does not happen in Bedford, it’d be disappointing and a huge missed opportunity, but it’s not going to make or break the towns fortunes from what I’ve read.

It’s okay to get excited for a UK park, but there’s no “egg on our faces” if Comcast pull out tomorrow for us Universal Studios lovers on here, or for the people in Bedford. It’s just one of those.

So here is why I’m saying 95%.

I thought the clay would be a problem to build on, with its seasonal shrinking and expanding. But they knew it was an old brickworks, as that’s where the brickworks got the clay from, to make the bricks that made the chimneys that then made more bricks. It’s all in the name.

There’s no way you spend money like that on land to then turn up, check the ground, raise an eyebrow and say “oh dear”.

That got me to thinking they’ve surveyed it already. But I found so had other people before them, but the investors didn’t have the money or pulled out? I can’t find out so far. All help welcome.

Apologies if they’ve been posted before, but these below plans are definitely worth a read in my view, and think Comcast now own this land.

This was the proposal from 2018.

https://bedfordbrickworks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/DAS-Bedford-Business-Park-Summary.pdf

Then in 2020

https://bedford.oc2.uk/download/attachmentform/471

Both plans seem to show another parcel of land that is used as a straight road entrance into the now Comcast land, with a roundabout joining the parallel road to the A421. But I don’t think Comcast own the 3rd parcel land and I don’t know who does.

The East West Rail is happening at Kempston Hardwick, so is the Thames Link station at Wixams, they have local government on board, and I think the people who live close by too, from what I’ve read.

If Comcast have the land and have the money, then the only thing stopping them is them.

Again, the optimist in me thinks Universal are preparing a planning application to submit.

Just like every other person in England who wants to build something on land they own, they have to do the online “paperwork” on the Bedford Borough Council website and click submit.

At that point it will be in the public domain, and people can object. They usually hold consultations for people who live locally to attend and voice their concerns. Probably accompanied by tea and biscuits in a village hall. (Yes really).

It all gets put on record and then I think the Borough Council take all this on board before making a decision.

I personally think there will be minimum to no pushback. I’ve read local opinion and I genuinely think even if there was a campaign group created to “STOP UNIVERSAL”, there would be a group created 10x the size if not bigger locally to say “UNIVERSAL GB LETS GO!”.

I genuinely don’t think this needs to go to higher government to get wrapped up in red tape. Even if it does, the pressure from those involved in terms of Comcast US Diplomatic ties and local Borough Council government would no doubt push it through.

As stated at the start, this is just my own opinion, and I’ve gone out there with this for you bedfordmassive..!

Hopefully, some of it will be well received and any potential sleuths out there can jump on board for the ride.

Remember I’m new here! YepThatGuy!

 

[Ludus]

Did we have any picture on the timescales universal are thinking of?
Say they wanted to open this park in 2030, and the average construction time for a universal park appears to be 3-4 years, we may actually see things move quite slowly for the next year or two until construction starts in ~2027.

 

[tommyhawkins]

Some cool footage of the purchased land:

hmmm now where could he had gotten his info from i wonder. for myriad reasons this is a bad actor and hopefully some others who know what theyre talking about will deliver better content than this

 

[tielo]

Did we have any picture on the timescales universal are thinking of?
Say they wanted to open this park in 2030, and the average construction time for a universal park appears to be 3-4 years, we may actually see things move quite slowly for the next year or two until construction starts in ~2027.

It depends how far along Universal is into planning this whole thing. I bet they are fast and there will be placeholders but if averything goes well they could start second half 2025 when they are finished with Epic Universe. But at this point it's wait and see.

 

[Chessy]

All being well, I wouldn’t expect to see any spades in the ground until 26/27.

 

[Ludus]

All being well, I wouldn’t expect to see any spades in the ground until 26/27.

That's what I'm thinking too, which means things won't happen as fast as people think. We might not even get any plans announced this year...
Frustratingly, the longer it takes the more chance there is for things to go wrong with planning, the locals, the economy etc. which means more chance universal could pull out.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Universal was busy quietly re-acquiring the land in 2016-18 for the South/Epic Campus. Yes, the UK has been a bit more resistant/slower in approving stuff, but that's about a similar timeline that Epic would have followed had it originally opened in 2023, about 6-7 years.

 

[tommyhawkins]

I did cover this in my thread but long form:

Pre-Application NSIP Spring 2024 lasting ~15 months - This is the stage where engagement and consultation happens with all relevant Parties including residents and Gov bodies

~June 2025 onwards the rest of the stages are completed. This process may take up to 6 months before approval granted, including any appeal stages. If theyve done the first 15 months right, and thought of everything, this should be quicker.

Grading begins Summer 2025, the site is smaller than Epic by 120Acres and we know it took them around 1 year to add about 10-15ft of top soil to the site and running utilities. I can't imagine they need to be adding quite as much to the clay soil, but with a British winter, id expect them to not being able to start fully fledged construction until Spring/Summer 2026. A note about the soil here, unless theyre building a skyscraper building on clay is a non-issue and much more reliable that sand/limestone bedrock in Florida
This essentially give them 3.5 years for full build out and six months testing contigency to be soft open by Easter 2030. Yes theres plenty of room for delays in that timeline at the front end of the project, but I would still expect some movement on the first stages of NSIP in coming months to get this park opened by 2030.

 

[GAcoaster]

Any idea of there is any contamination of the soil that will require abatement? Former industrial sites are quite often polluted, although this was a brick works so I can't imagine there was too much in the way of residue other than ash from the kilns and depending what they burned even that may be minimal.

If I'm not mistaken Epics site required a great deal of remediation from fuel spills on the land when they did rocket/missile/jet engine testing while it was owned by Martin Marietta, but I think Universal had done much of the cleanup before they sold it off and then bought it back.

 

[tommyhawkins]

Any idea of there is any contamination of the soil that will require abatement? Former industrial sites are quite often polluted, although this was a brick works so I can't imagine there was too much in the way of residue other than ash from the kilns and depending what they burned even that may be minimal.

If I'm not mistaken Epics site required a great deal of remediation from fuel spills on the land when they did rocket/missile/jet engine testing while it was owned by Martin Marietta, but I think Universal had done much of the cleanup before they sold it off and then bought it back.

The Brickworks or part of it was only one parcel of land they have acquired, the other is farmland

 

[OLSinFLA]

I\\

There’s no way you spend money like that on land to then turn up, check the ground, raise an eyebrow and say “oh dear”.

Which is funny because thats exactly what Disney did with WDW. When they finally put foot on ground, Joe Fowler told Walt the immortal line "We have bought 26,000 acres of the sorriest land God has put on Earth". It cost them millions to build a drainage system before they could even begin building.

 

[Disneyhead]

Which is funny because thats exactly what Disney did with WDW. When they finally put foot on ground, Joe Fowler told Walt the immortal line "We have bought 26,000 acres of the sorriest land God has put on Earth". It cost them millions to build a drainage system before they could even begin building.

The 1971 WDW expenditure was $100 million (MK, Contemporary, Poly, Monorail, Fort Wilderness, and Golf Resort), and was the most expensive private endeavor ever.

That's what they spent on Everest in 2006.

That's what they spent on a fireworks show in 2023.

 

[Mike S]

The OG WDW expenditure was $100 million, and was the most expensive private endeavor ever.

That's what they spent on Everest in 2006.

That's what they spent on a fireworks show in 2023.

Yes but what was $100 million back then worth now with inflation? Not defending them just attempting to get the full picture.

 

[Mad Dog]

Yes but what was $100 million back then worth now with inflation? Not defending them just attempting to get the full picture.

About $700 million....but still 'terrific value' in comparison. All that for way less than GESWL cost.

 

[Mike S]

About $700 million....but still 'terrific value' in comparison. All that for way less than GESWL cost.

Well damn.

 

[Freak]

About $700 million....but still 'terrific value' in comparison. All that for way less than GESWL cost.

Crazy to think that’s not too far off from how much Cosmic Rewind cost. Allegedly.

 

[TheUniC6]

Crazy to think that’s not too far off from how much Cosmic Rewind cost. Allegedly.

Leave it to Disney to massively over spend and under deliver on attractions and lands.

 

[yepthatguy]

Which is funny because thats exactly what Disney did with WDW. When they finally put foot on ground, Joe Fowler told Walt the immortal line "We have bought 26,000 acres of the sorriest land God has put on Earth". It cost them millions to build a drainage system before they could even begin building.

Let’s hope 57 years later that Comcast haven’t made the same mistake.

 

[Ludus]

Let’s hope 57 years later that Comcast haven’t made the same mistake.

Exactly, I don't think that kind of mistake would happen in this day and age. Besides, $250m is a lot of money, even for comcast, to just randomly dump on a piece of land they haven't any idea about.

 

[Chessy]

Random idea mode. I wonder if there’s a possibility of having a Harry Potter themed hotel?

I like the idea of a duelling coaster but with a launch like the Hulk.