Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Business
Julia Kollewe

Planned Universal theme park in Bedfordshire to ‘bring £50bn to UK economy’

Universal United Kingdom Bedford Bedfordshire Economy Hollywood
Guests ride on the Flight of the Hippogriff past Hogwarts castle at the Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Florida.
Guests ride on the Flight of the Hippogriff past Hogwarts castle at the Universal Studios Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Florida. Photograph: ZUMA Press, Inc./Alamy

The movies group Universal has said a Hollywood theme park it plans to build in Bedfordshire, England, will be open 365 days a year and will boost the UK economy by nearly £50bn.

Universal Destinations & Experiences, which is owned by the US telecoms group Comcast, the parent company of Sky, plans to build on a 192-hectare site (476 acres) in Kempston Hardwick near Bedford. The company has an option to buy a further 25 hectares.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
That Cute Squishy Toy Contains Water Beads — CPSC Says Stop Using It
A colorful squishy toy that looks like an innocent stress reliever may hide something parents cannot see: expandable water beads. About 37,000 Squishy Dumpling and Crazy Squib Ball toys were recalled on October 1 after regulators determined that their water beads could expand beyond federal limits and create a potentially…
Kids Ain't Cheap
Kids Ain't Cheap
103-year-old World War II veteran still runs a basement bar in Maryland that would be illegal to open today
At 103, World War II veteran Irvin Koch is still behind the counter at Irv’s Basement Bar in Maryland, a watering hole he has run since 1963. But there is a surprising reason his unusual home-based bar has survived for more than six decades: modern zoning rules would make it…
The Economic Times
The Economic Times
Travis Barker hospitalised
Travis Barker has shared photos from hospital, where his wife, Kourtney Kardashian, and daughter, Alabama Barker, were by his side.
BANG Premier
BANG Premier
Man goes to Tim Hortons and sees some Harry Potter-themed donuts. Then he takes a closer look: ‘I was deeply concerned’
Those are definitely not going to the Hogwarts feast!
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Ex-Dunkin’ worker says her paycheck was withheld. Then she airs alleged dirty laundry about drinks, creamers, and more: ‘When you’re not looking’
She allegedly was treated differently after getting a new job
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Ultraprocessed Meal Raised Insulin More Than a Calorie-Matched Whole-Food Meal in Small Virginia Tech Brain Imaging Trial
Two 300-calorie meals with matching nutrients drew different insulin and metabolic responses in a small Virginia Tech trial. Here is what it means.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play