Universal Great Britain

[Steeb]

Great news, was also posted by the Bedford MP

 

[xtpower]

4% too high, I say, damn NIMBY's. I jest, that's tremendous news, I thought anything above 70% would be excellent but 92% is levels above that.

With that, I think we have news about the meeting with the government still to drop and then we have the long wait til they finally decide on whether to go ahead or not.

 

[rob@rar]

Has a new Q&A been added to the FAQ on Universal's Universal's UK Project website? I can't recall seeing the following:

8. DOES THIS PROJECT REQUIRE PLANNING CONSENT?​

One route for securing the necessary planning approvals to move ahead with our investment is through planning permission granted directly by Government, via a special development order (SDO), where appropriate following consideration by a Secretary of State. The decision to determine whether this route is appropriate is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The Secretary of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has agreed to act as the sponsor for the project within Government. The Government has indicated that the consideration of any proposal will be subject to administrative arrangements to ensure functional separation between DCMS as sponsor Department and the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as planning decision-maker. It is anticipated that public consultation by DLUHC will be carried out prior to any planning decisions, should we decide to take the project forward.

Our planning submission would be accompanied by an Environmental Statement, which will be publicised and subject to consultation with statutory consultation bodies and the public. The Environmental Statement, together with any other information which is relevant to the decision, and any comments and representations made on it, must be taken into account in deciding whether or not to grant consent for any proposal.

The main point for me is that the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as planning decision-maker will conduct a public consultation prior to any planning decisions. hat was one of the questions I have in with the Ministerial private office at the DLUHC, although no reply as yet. I don't think we have anything to fear from such a consultation given how widely welcomed Universal's proposal has been, but it will take time for that consultation to take place, which might take us closer and closer to a likely dissolution of Parliament in the autumn ahead of a general election.

 

[bedfordmassive]

This is going very fast indeed. Consultation closure to results in a week - there must have been an expedited internal process to get the signoff to release and text agreed so quickly. I suspect we’ll hear about a planning application going in very soon - seems clear they want to beat the general election.

 

[yepthatguy]

This is going very fast indeed. Consultation closure to results in a week - there must have been an expedited internal process to get the signoff to release and text agreed so quickly. I suspect we’ll hear about a planning application going in very soon - seems clear they want to beat the general election.

Funny this news has dropped on an absolutely lovely sunny day in deepest England with barely a breeze blowing...

I’m very chuffed with this news indeed.

 

[xtpower]

Maybe we'll even get a new Theme Park stop video with all this news . If so, guys start contributing so we can get attributed and become internet famous .

 

[Chessy]

This is going very fast indeed. Consultation closure to results in a week - there must have been an expedited internal process to get the signoff to release and text agreed so quickly. I suspect we’ll hear about a planning application going in very soon - seems clear they want to beat the general election.

Yeah I was thinking with the way things have been the election might be called soon. Either way it won’t affect it. Can’t imagine one until September/October.

 

[rob@rar]

I suspect we’ll hear about a planning application going in very soon - seems clear they want to beat the general election.

Before the Comcast Board sign off on a $10bn investment? We’ve heard via the local parish council that Universal expect to take a decision in June. I guess that’s the final approval at the highest level for a go/no-go decision. I think it would be politically unwise to submit a planning submission before the company had actually agreed to move forward, even if that decision was expected to be a rubber stamping exercise (but does anyone simply rubberstamp such a major investment decision).

Say the Comcast board gives the go ahead in early June and Page Thomson’s team immediately submit their plans to government. We know there’ll be a public consultation, which I’d guess would be a minimum of 4-6 weeks. That takes us to the parliamentary summer recess, when government business slows dramatically. Nothing much will happen until September, but then there’s another Commons recess for conference season, so parliament wo t actually start to sit properly until early October, and that’s in a normal year. By that time we might be deep in to the general election processes and it is impossible for the government to give approval to the Special Development Order for major works to commence.

Things are moving fast for sure, but there is very, very little time for the next steps in the process to be completed before a likely change in government.

 

[yepthatguy]

Manor Road has been closed on and off for 2 days. Not at Kempston Hardwick train station though, it’s further down the road. National Grid are there doing some bits..

 

[Doug88]

Before the Comcast Board sign off on a $10bn investment? We’ve heard via the local parish council that Universal expect to take a decision in June. I guess that’s the final approval at the highest level for a go/no-go decision. I think it would be politically unwise to submit a planning submission before the company had actually agreed to move forward, even if that decision was expected to be a rubber stamping exercise (but does anyone simply rubberstamp such a major investment decision).

Say the Comcast board gives the go ahead in early June and Page Thomson’s team immediately submit their plans to government. We know there’ll be a public consultation, which I’d guess would be a minimum of 4-6 weeks. That takes us to the parliamentary summer recess, when government business slows dramatically. Nothing much will happen until September, but then there’s another Commons recess for conference season, so parliament wo t actually start to sit properly until early October, and that’s in a normal year. By that time we might be deep in to the general election processes and it is impossible for the government to give approval to the Special Development Order for major works to commence.

Things are moving fast for sure, but there is very, very little time for the next steps in the process to be completed before a likely change in government.

It's not so much the government that does these things it's the civil service. That doesn't change it keeps working even during an election. The minister of state will say yes or no but it's the people behind the scenes who make the real decision.

 

[Doug88]

Before the Comcast Board sign off on a $10bn investment? We’ve heard via the local parish council that Universal expect to take a decision in June. I guess that’s the final approval at the highest level for a go/no-go decision. I think it would be politically unwise to submit a planning submission before the company had actually agreed to move forward, even if that decision was expected to be a rubber stamping exercise (but does anyone simply rubberstamp such a major investment decision).

Say the Comcast board gives the go ahead in early June and Page Thomson’s team immediately submit their plans to government. We know there’ll be a public consultation, which I’d guess would be a minimum of 4-6 weeks. That takes us to the parliamentary summer recess, when government business slows dramatically. Nothing much will happen until September, but then there’s another Commons recess for conference season, so parliament wo t actually start to sit properly until early October, and that’s in a normal year. By that time we might be deep in to the general election processes and it is impossible for the government to give approval to the Special Development Order for major works to commence.

Things are moving fast for sure, but there is very, very little time for the next steps in the process to be completed before a likely change in government.

You are basically right though and everyone knows in this country things take ages.

 

[yepthatguy]

Erm, did anybody else get an email today from them regarding filling in the survey?

 

[Chessy]

Erm, did anybody else get an email today from them regarding filling in the survey?

Yes although I haven’t read it properly yet.

 

[yepthatguy]

Yes although I haven’t read it properly yet.

Ah Thanks!

A few people I know also filled in the survey but didn’t get an email. I couldn’t tell if it was a clever templated email or if it had been tailored very subtly due to its wording.

Interesting.

 

[Doug88]

Before the Comcast Board sign off on a $10bn investment? We’ve heard via the local parish council that Universal expect to take a decision in June. I guess that’s the final approval at the highest level for a go/no-go decision. I think it would be politically unwise to submit a planning submission before the company had actually agreed to move forward, even if that decision was expected to be a rubber stamping exercise (but does anyone simply rubberstamp such a major investment decision).

Say the Comcast board gives the go ahead in early June and Page Thomson’s team immediately submit their plans to government. We know there’ll be a public consultation, which I’d guess would be a minimum of 4-6 weeks. That takes us to the parliamentary summer recess, when government business slows dramatically. Nothing much will happen until September, but then there’s another Commons recess for conference season, so parliament wo t actually start to sit properly until early October, and that’s in a normal year. By that time we might be deep in to the general election processes and it is impossible for the government to give approval to the Special Development Order for major works to commence.

Things are moving fast for sure, but there is very, very little time for the next steps in the process to be completed before a likely change in government.

What happens when we have a change of government. Will universal have to start the process all over again?

 

[rob@rar]

It's not so much the government that does these things it's the civil service. That doesn't change it keeps working even during an election. The minister of state will say yes or no but it's the people behind the scenes who make the real decision.

Sure, the day to day work is done by civil servants, but only when Ministers have set the general policy direction, which they then sign off when completed as decisions are taken by Ministers.

But the bigger problem is that the Special Development Order has to be approved by the House of Commons and the House of Lords, by way of a piece of secondary legislation called a Statutory Instrument. It is not actually government which is approving this, it is parliament. For this to happen both Houses have to be sitting for a minimum of (I think) three weeks from the date that the government tables the legislation, at which point the secondary legislation is automatically approved by parliament. Given that we might face a general election in October, there might not be a period when parliament is sitting for a minimum of three weeks in order for the legislation to be approved.

If approval doesn’t happen before the election I don’t think the new government will take a different view about having this significant investment by Universal, but it does add the potential for a slightly different approach. Page Thompson said, I think in the public presentations, that Universal have already been in touch with the Labour Party, including meeting with Kier Starmer. The local Labour MP has also been hugely supportive. I don’t think a general election is a threat to Universal’s plans, but I think it could add a few months delay to the process.

 

[Altonsky]

Warner Bros. to Release First New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ in 2026, Peter Jackson to Produce and Andy Serkis to Direct

Warner Bros. will release its first new 'Lord of the Rings' movie in 2026. Andy Serkis will direct 'The Hunt for Gollum,' while Peter Jackson produces.

variety.com

Well then

Well…. That’s positive after my little temper tantrum

Also good news about the letter and the feedback!

 

[xtpower]

Sure, the day to day work is done by civil servants, but only when Ministers have set the general policy direction, which they then sign off when completed as decisions are taken by Ministers.

But the bigger problem is that the Special Development Order has to be approved by the House of Commons and the House of Lords, by way of a piece of secondary legislation called a Statutory Instrument. It is not actually government which is approving this, it is parliament. For this to happen both Houses have to be sitting for a minimum of (I think) three weeks from the date that the government tables the legislation, at which point the secondary legislation is automatically approved by parliament. Given that we might face a general election in October, there might not be a period when parliament is sitting for a minimum of three weeks in order for the legislation to be approved.

If approval doesn’t happen before the election I don’t think the new government will take a different view about having this significant investment by Universal, but it does add the potential for a slightly different approach. Page Thompson said, I think in the public presentations, that Universal have already been in touch with the Labour Party, including meeting with Kier Starmer. The local Labour MP has also been hugely supportive. I don’t think a general election is a threat to Universal’s plans, but I think it could add a few months delay to the process.

Let's hope the Tories are stubborn enough to delay a General Election until the consultation is finished (please don't take this seriously I have no idea whether they can or cannot delay).

 

[Altonsky]

What happens when we have a change of government. Will universal have to start the process all over again?

No, the civil servants on the most part are the same.

They’ll have a grasp of the situation.

Those at the top change but unless they’re dead against it (which labour aren’t) and tell them to stop it’ll just carry on.

There’s also handover periods if the government does change.

 

[rob@rar]

Well…. That’s positive after my little temper tantrum

I think this is the first of three new live action Middle-Earth movies that New Line Cinema have said they wish to make. Plus the War of The Rohirrim animated movie which is being released this coming December.