Universal Studios has revealed plans to open a new theme park in the UK – and the site could be bigger than the famous Hollywood plot.
Its next attraction is set to be housed in Bedford after scouts identified it as the best location in Europe.
Universal Studios is now considering the possibility of opening the new theme park in the town – which is 50 miles north of London.
The US film giant has acquired 480 acres of land that previously housed a huge brickworks.
The UK site would be larger than the 415 acres spanned by Universal Studios Hollywood
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The site was originally set to be developed into 1,000 new homes after last of its 167 chimneys were demolished in 2021.
If the plans are processed, Universal Studios Bedford will be the studios’ sixth park alongside resorts in the US, Beijing, Japan and Singapore.
The location is just 40 miles from rival Warner Bros’ The Making of Harry Potter studio tour in Watford.
Universal Studios insiders suggest the area has great connectivity.
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Many highlighted the 45 minutes travel time from London and it being within two hours reach of more than half of the UK’s population.
A Universal Studios spokeswoman said the company would be weary of taking a proactive approach to partnering local communities and stakeholders.
She said: “We recently acquired land in Bedford and are at the early stages of exploring its feasibility for a potential park and resort at this site.
“It will be many months before we are ready to make a decision to proceed and we look forward to engaging with all relevant stakeholders and the local community.”
A Universal Studios spokeswoman said the company would be weary of taking a proactive approach to partnering local communities and stakeholders
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Tom Wootton, mayor of Bedford borough council has hailed the proposals.
“The suggestion of a major business investment is of course positive, nevertheless these are early days and much detailed work is required before any decisions are made,” he told the BBC.
“We very much welcome and are excited by the interest from Universal.
“And the immense potential for it to be transformative for the borough.”
