Universal Great Britain

[Steeb]

I told everyone they wanted to ban cars in this country. The greens are the first party to announce it. I bet theirs loads of younger people on here who will vote green. They want all petrol and diesel cars off the road full stop by 2035.

"They" being one party who never come close to getting into power, saying they want people to use electric or Hydrogen powered cars instead of fossil fuels is not "banning" cars.

Your arms must be incredibly long with a reach like that.

 

[rob@rar]

I told everyone they wanted to ban cars in this country. The greens are the first party to announce it. I bet theirs loads of younger people on here who will vote green. They want all petrol and diesel cars off the road full stop by 2035.

Isn't there a politics forum that you can troll with your nonsense?

 

[bedfordmassive]

Advance quote from Kier Starmers speech today - couldn’t ask for a better policy signal for this project (though I know it’s not specific to this project of course).

For non UK people - this is the party that is way ahead in the polls so barring act of god, he’ll be prime minister in 3 weeks (AND HOPEFULLY BAN CARS )

 

[Altonsky]

I told everyone they wanted to ban cars in this country. The greens are the first party to announce it. I bet theirs loads of younger people on here who will vote green. They want all petrol and diesel cars off the road full stop by 2035.

The Greens will luckily never be in charge. Students politicians that haven’t grown up so this isn’t a concern They may as well call themselves the cognitive dissonance party.

 

[Luke Hutchinson]

Well the Labour Manifesto’s main themes seems to definitely be positive in regards to Universal’s investment in the UK

 

[Lost Meerkat]

Two cars on brickwork site today inside gates. Looks like two people who were there a couple of dates ago. No idea what they are doing

 

[Ludus]

Two cars on brickwork site today inside gates. Looks like two people who were there a couple of dates ago. No idea what they are doing

I've heard from Doug they're looking at installing an EV charging station

 

[Lost Meerkat]

I've heard from Doug they're looking at installing an EV charging station

 

[rob@rar]

This is the Comcast 2024 Impact Statement, which includes their commitments to environmental issues. From p.44 onwards you can see that they are committed to carbon neutrality for Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2035. So perhaps there'll be more than one EV charging station at USGB. Epic Universe was designed to integrate energy efficiency and sustainable construction practices, and I have no doubt the the Bedford theme park will be equally forward looking. Sky's new building in Osterley, West London (just up the road from me) is particularly innovative and award-winning for its use of energy.

 

[Jake S]

Obviously a lot of this discussion is going to be inherently political (or at least about the machinations of politics) but let's make sure that chat is actually related to the theme park in Bedford.

 

[rob@rar]

Obviously a lot of this discussion is going to be inherently political (or at least about the machinations of politics) but let's make sure that chat is actually related to the theme park in Bedford.

Thanks for saying that. I have no desire to talk party politics on this forum and the only time I've contributed to discussions around political issues has been very strictly tied to how the planning application might unfold and other points directly concerned with the park we all hope they're going to build for us.

 

[bedfordmassive]

Ditto

 

[Chessy]

Yeah politics is where I turn off, although I understand if it’s related. Once approved I’m sure they’ll be less political discussions.

 

[Scott W.]

The EV charger debate is a mildy interesting one. I had thought that Epic would have used a similar approach to the DLP parking lot with solar panels for car charging and also providing well needed shade from the Florida sun.

But the new plot is being built with future expansion in mind and no doubt they will adopt the same process as the current Orlando resort if they decide to expand by building a multi story parking garage and building another park on the parking lot.

As for how many chargers to install, it's a near impossible guess. You don't know how many EVs there will be nor how battery technology or efficiency will improve, or even if a new technology will be introduced.

 

[rob@rar]

The EV charger debate is a mildy interesting one. I had thought that Epic would have used a similar approach to the DLP parking lot with solar panels for car charging and also providing well needed shade from the Florida sun.

But the new plot is being built with future expansion in mind and no doubt they will adopt the same process as the current Orlando resort if they decide to expand by building a multi story parking garage and building another park on the parking lot.

As for how many chargers to install, it's a near impossible guess. You don't know how many EVs there will be nor how battery technology or efficiency will improve, or even if a new technology will be introduced.

DLP are required by law to cover at least half of their car park with solar panels. In think it was 2022 that the French parliament passed a new law which said that any car park with more than 80 spaces must cover at least half of their spaces with solar panels, having five years to comply with the regulations. DLP have gone further and faster than is required. There is (currently?) no such law in the UK.

I can't imagine Universal will do the same, as you say there is a possibility that they'll want to build a multi-storey car park a few years down the line. It might also be difficult to quantify how many drivers will want to recharge while they are parked as the situation with EVs is changing so much. I drive an EV and wouldn't need to charge when I visit as I'd easily manage the drive there and back, so even if there was a surfeit of charging spots I'd not need one.

 

[Chessy]

I feel a multi-storey car park will inevitably come as it will be prime expansion space. As for EV charging they must just have to average a guess as to how many may charge. But it’s difficult to say in 6 years time. Personally for me I’m more likely to full charge before going somewhere or do it on the way to top up.

 

[havaska]

The other thing we’re forgetting here is that providing chargers is also another revenue stream. I also drive an EV, and whilst I can make it to Alton Towers and back on a full charge (I live near Manchester) it would be nice to plug my car in, spend a day in the park, and then come back to a fully charged car. I’m happy to pay a fair price for that, as are most EV drivers I’d say.

So as well as future proofing and being ‘green’ you make the park more accessible and enticing and you can earn additional revenue and profit.

It’s a no brainer really.

 

[Doug88]

The other thing we’re forgetting here is that providing chargers is also another revenue stream. I also drive an EV, and whilst I can make it to Alton Towers and back on a full charge (I live near Manchester) it would be nice to plug my car in, spend a day in the park, and then come back to a fully charged car. I’m happy to pay a fair price for that, as are most EV drivers I’d say.

So as well as future proofing and being ‘green’ you make the park more accessible and enticing and you can earn additional revenue and profit.

It’s a no brainer really.

We currently drive an EV but we're going back to petrol for our next car. It just makes things so much easier.

 

[Lost Meerkat]

Bedford Council have put a solar farm on the slopes of an old landfill site to the immediate North East of this site. There is another topped off landfill site to the South, between Broadmead Road and Stewartby Lake. Could be an opportunity for more solar panels to provide power towards the theme park.

They cannot build anything else on these plots of land for some considerable time, so it would be a good use of them.

Interestingly, there are also substantial goods train sidings next to that old landfill that would be ideal for Universal to bring in materials, instead of using lorries etc.

 

[rob@rar]

The other thing we’re forgetting here is that providing chargers is also another revenue stream.

Yes, that’s a good point, perhaps something they’d invest in if they do build a “forever car park” rather than one which might’ve replaced in a few years. I was in Norway a couple of winters ago and rented an EV. There was one multi story I parked in and every single space had a slow speed EV charger. The car park appeared quite new, so,I guess it’s cheaper to build these facilities at the same time as construction rather than retrofitting. I’m sure Universal will be considering issues like this as they do seem to plan, and invest, for the long term. Parent company Comcast also seem keen on being environmentally committed.