The Government has confirmed a 1.3 billion GBP programme of transport and local infrastructure investment set to be delivered alongside plans for the new Universal United Kingdom Resort in Bedfordshire.
Funding will be used to improve transport connections and supporting infrastructure necessary to accommodate an expected 8.5 million visitors during the resort’s first year.
The investment is intended to ensure both local communities and visitors are able to access the site whilst simultaneously supporting wider economic growth across Bedfordshire and the Oxford-Cambridge growth corridor.
Transport improvements are set to form the largest component of the investment, with the Department for Transport expected to provide 474 million GBP for road and rail enhancements, which will include a new station at Wixams on the Midland Main Line and upgrades to the local highway infrastructure serving the development.
All measures are designed to improve connectivity between the resort itself, London, neighbouring towns and international gateways including London Luton Airport.
The announcement follows previous Government support for the project, and reflects the true scale of anticipated visitor demand at the resort – which Universal has described ‘one of the largest entertainment developments ever undertaken in Europe, whilst Government projections suggest it could be come the UK’s most visited tourist attraction.
The wider development will be constructed on the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks site near Bedford, and is estimated to generate around 20,000 construction jobs, with a further 8,000 permanent jobs once operations begin.
Estimates from both the Government and local authority suggest that the project could contribute up to 50 billion GBP to the UK economy by 2055.
