Universal Studios UK theme park given planning permission in Bedfordshire
The UK’s first Universal Studios theme park has been granted planning permission by the government to begin construction.The attraction, which is being part-funded with £500m of public investment in rail and road infrastructure, will be built on the site of a former brickworks near Bedford.Comcast, the parent company of Universal and owner of Sky, sought planning permission through a special development order (SDO), which allows the government to approve the project directly and bypass normal local planning procedures.On Tuesday, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) approved the plans.While the SDO comes into force from 12 January, a parliamentary review period must still be completed.
Mohammad Yasin, the local Labour MP, said the approval was a “landmark moment for Bedford and the wider region”, and would be “transformational and felt for decades to come”.Comcast, which had been considering a number of countries in which to build its first theme park in Europe, intends to open the park in 2031.Earlier this year, Universal said the theme park would be “unlike anything that exists in the UK” and could feature the tallest rides in Europe with height limits of up to 115 metres.The government, which is seeking to kickstart economic growth, has forecast that the theme park will attract more than 8 million visitors a year and provide a £50bn boost to Britain’s economy.Universal has said the theme park will create 20,000 jobs in the construction phase, and 8,000 operational roles once up and running.
“In the months ahead, we are committed to sharing progress as well as what to expect including job opportunities and how local businesses and suppliers can potentially work with us,” said Universal in a letter published on Tuesday.“The interest and support we’ve already seen from both local companies and residents has been incredibly encouraging.”In April, the government overruled planning inspectors and approved an almost doubling of capacity at Luton airport, which is expected to be one of the main air hubs used by visitors to the park.Last year, Bedford borough council entered an agreement with Network Rail to construct a two-platform station at Wixams.However, it was put on hold to allow a bigger station to be built at the same site to accommodate Universal.
Last month, East West Rail Company said another new railway station would be built to serve the park in Stewartby,The station will be part of the East West Rail (EWR) line, which aims to connect Oxford to Cambridge, via Milton Keynes and Bedford,
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I began to notice my sight deteriorating in my 40s, but not just in the way that you expect it to with age. I had night blindness and blind spots in my field of view. At 44, I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition that causes the retina cells to die. I had always been a very visually oriented person: I was a practising architect, and someone who loved to read, draw, go to the cinema and visit art exhibitions. So when black text disappeared on a glaring white page, films became impossible to follow and artworks only took shape once explained to me, I questioned who I would be without my vision
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It’s time for a big old moan. Next week’s newsletter will be a roundup of our favourite culture of the year, a bit of an annual Guide tradition by now, and something that’s great fun to put together.But do you know what’s even more fun? Complaining about things. So, this week’s Guide is devoted to cultural gripes, big and small, of 2025. Here’s what had us seething this year
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Barbican to close its doors for a year for multimillion-pound renovation
The Barbican will close its doors for 12 months from June 2028 as it undergoes a multimillion-pound renovation that its leaders say will secure its future.The arts organisation’s Beech Street cinemas will remain open but its theatre, music venue, conservatory and visual arts galleries are set to shutter as the overhaul of the 43-year-old building begins in the lead-up to its 50th anniversary in 2032.The main Barbican site will close its doors in June 2028 and reopen in June 2029, but some disruption will happen before that as the foyer, lakeside area and internal control room are all renovated.The conservatory, which is open only for a few hours at the weekend and currently has netting to stop falling glass, will close earlier, in 2027.Philippa Simpson, the director of buildings and renewal at the Barbican, said the work could not be completed while the site was open to the public as it would be too dangerous, but that it was essential to secure the site’s future
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