PLANS for the first Universal Studios theme park in the UK are closer than ever.

First revealed in 2023, Universal are hoping to build their first European theme park in the UK.

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Sign-off said to be imminent with MPs looking at the proposals and a final decision about the site is due to be made very shortly.

With lots of rumours about the Universal theme park that will be the first of its kind in the UK, here’s everything we know so far…

Where is it?

The county of Bedfordshire will be the home of the theme park if plans get the go-ahead.

Universal bought a 450-acre site in Kempston Hardwick just outside of Bedford in December 2023.

Plans described Bedford as an “ideal location” due to its convenient transport links.

Bedford can also be easily reached via London, and with its central location, more than half of the UK population can be there within two hours.

There will also be new transport put in place as tourism in Bedford is bound to increase, including new rail routes to connect towns between Oxford and Cambridge, which are Bedford’s nearest cities.

While there had been talks about whether Bedford was a good site for the company’s very first theme park in Europe, no ‘red flags’ were discovered.

It will hugely benefit locals too as it has been estimated that 8,000 new jobs could be up for grabs. And this could increase within the first 20 years of operation.

What will be in it?

A new site will hold a 500-room hotel, entertainment zone, train station, and plenty of attractions – so there’s lots to look forward to.

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At the moment there aren’t many reports on which rides will go into Universal UK, but with the likes of Revenge of the Mummy, Harry Potter and The Simpsons in other parks, there are high expectations.

They also said that the attractions and buildings would be ‘capped at a maximum height’.

The submitted 16-page document from Universal suggested that the Bedford-based theme park would have its own Citywalk.

Also in the plan was a statement that the park would “celebrate” the areas “vibrant history” suggesting more UK celebrated attractions.

When will it open?

As planning is still in the works, there’s no exact time frame we can expect Universal UK to be completed.

But the estimate is that the park won’t be open before 2030 and could take at least six years to build.

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Where are the other Universal theme parks?

There are only five other theme parks across the globe, with none in Europe at the moment.

Universal so far have opened Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Japan, Universal Beijing Resort and Universal Studios Singapore.

With Universal still waiting on permission, here are some other UK based theme parks to enjoy, like Diggerland and Milky way Adventure Park.

Alton Towers has a pirate takeover week during February half term and there’s Nickelodeon Land at Blackpool Pleasure Beach Resort.

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