THE UK could be about to become home to Europe's biggest theme park, with a deal set to be confirmed next week.
Universal is on the cusp of securing the rights to build a , similar to those in Orlando and Hollywood, on a 500 acre former brickworks site near Bedford.
began last , with sources claiming an announcement on the deal could come as soon as next week.
If the deal is secured, this would mean that Comcast (Universal's owner) will turn the industrial site into one of the tin .
According to analysis by Universal Destinations & Experiences, the theme park could generate almost £50bn of economic value to the UK in its first 20 years.
It is also set to support 20,000 , half of which would be direct , and the remainder supplying services to support the site.
The UK Treasury is also set to gain an additional £14.1bn in tax revenue over the 20-year period.
The site, in Kempston Hardwick, near Bedford, will feature a 500-room hotel, an entertainment zone, a train station, and dozens of attractions.
New systems are also set to be put in place, as tourism to Bedford is bound to increase, including train routes connecting towns between and , the nearest cities to Bedford.
The site, which is 45 miles from , has been described as “ideal” due to its convenient transport links, with more than half of the UK population able to reach Bedford within two hours.
would be boosted by an estimated £35 billion to the economy when the Universal project is being built and for the first 25 years after its doors open.
recently told MPs: “I cannot enter into the precise details of the negotiations, but they are going well.
“I am hopeful that this will be absolutely transformational for the British tourism industry if we manage to pull it off.”;
Mohammad Yasin, who represents Bedford in , recently said: “To have such a huge global brand like invest in Britain would be fantastic.”;
At present, there is no date for the completion of the project, but it is unlikely to open before 2030, and could take at least six years to build.
Universal currently has five other across the globe, none of which are in Europe.
So far the company has opened Universal Resort, , Universal Studios , Universal Resort and .
The UK theme park will be modelled on Universal's US locations and is expected to feature attractions based on .
It is anticipated that the site will attract millions of visitors, a third of which are estimated to come from overseas.
