Universal Great Britain - Speculation & Rumors

[bedfordmassive]

I was mocked for saying they are waiting for the price of land to go up so they could sell for housing and make a few quid.

But I think the post you’re replying to says the land just sold has nothing to do with Universal and isn’t land they bought or had an option on?

 

[Doug88]

But I think the post you’re replying to says the land just sold has nothing to do with Universal and isn’t land they bought or had an option on?

It's coming though

 

[Liam]

It's coming though

Have you ever had a positive thought in your life? Just been catching up with this thread and all you seem to post is constant negativity.

It might happen it might not, everyone is aware but nobody knows for certain it’s a waiting game until Universal make the decision public.

 

[Altonsky]

You’d have thought they’d have wanted to buy as much available land as possible around the park surely? Whether it’s used or not surely it’s better to have it than not have it.

Where is this piece of land that’s listed for this housing development, can someone draw a circle or something?

 

[yepthatguy]

You’d have thought they’d have wanted to buy as much available land as possible around the park surely? Whether it’s used or not surely it’s better to have it than not have it.

Where is this piece of land that’s listed for this housing development, can someone draw a circle or something?

If you open up google maps and jump to stewartby, you can see the land I think that’s been sold. I think it’s literally the old Stewartby brickworks land, nothing to do with universal I don’t think.

Not sure if this link will work…

Stewartby · Bedford, UK

Bedford, UK

www.google.co.uk

If you switch to satellite view, it’s the top left in the red stewartby boundary.

Like I said, this is just what I think.

Close up…

Stewartby · Bedford, UK

Bedford, UK

www.google.co.uk

Behind the college where they had the consultation.

 

[Altonsky]

If you open up google maps and jump to stewartby, you can see the land I think that’s been sold. I think it’s literally the old Stewartby brickworks land, nothing to do with universal I don’t think.

Not sure if this link will work…

Stewartby · Bedford, UK

Bedford, UK

www.google.co.uk

If you switch to satellite view, it’s the top left in the red stewartby boundary.

Like I said, this is just what I think.

Close up…

Stewartby · Bedford, UK

Bedford, UK

www.google.co.uk

Behind the college where they had the consultation.

Basically on the door step then.

Now am I the only one who thinks this housing development isn’t a good idea in that location, arguably it should either be Universals for future expansion/just left empty or it should be more land for hotels/leisure etc.

Having thousands of homes right next to a new theme park seems a bit daft (unless you’re a landlord) especially when it comes to noise etc, how are the locals going to feel with both developments happening concurrently. Do universal want to be boxed in?

Or there’s always the chance they’ve purchased the land in the hope Universal goes ahead and they can sell it for a profit. One of the directors is also a director for Peel and they obviously own things like the Trafford Centre.

 

[havaska]

Universal have bought enough land to build two theme parks and a city walk.

The only Universal resort with more than one gate is Orlando; every other resort is centred around a single park.

I really don’t think this is anything to be concerned by.

 

[Altonsky]

Even if they don’t build on it, it stops any future noise complaints or annoying neighbours who could potentially put a dampener on future expansion.

NIMBYs rule the roost.

 

[Jake S]

It's coming though

shut up, doug

 

[yepthatguy]

Even if they don’t build on it, it stops any future noise complaints or annoying neighbours who could potentially put a dampener on future expansion.

NIMBYs rule the roost.

It’s an interesting one. The land we are talking about was marked for houses for a few years in theory, in stewartby you get to this little mini roundabout with a brick building that used to be the entrance to the works, but it’s just abandoned brownfield land. I’d guess this is essentially expanding Stewartby itself to the north. Look it up on Google street view if you get chance. You can walk up to the boarded up front door of the old brickworks entrance.

I’m not certain but if they did build houses on that land as has now been planned, they won’t be able to see the universal park, there’s a huge hill which is basically a landfill right next to the land universal plan to use for the entrance and between this new parcel for housing.

20+ years of bedfords trash is under that hill with pipes running out of it to catch the methane and turn it into power.

 

[Scott W.]

The UK economic assessment PDF updated recently.

https://universalukproject.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Universal-UK-Economic-assessment-2024.pdf

Few minor differences.

Employment opportunies rose from 20,000 jobs to 25,000 jobs.

Tax revenue has changed from £14.1 billion over 20 years to £14 billion over 25 years.

Old numbers were $705 million in tax revenue, New numbers are £560 million in tax revenue.

Quite a difference.

I wouldn't consider this a negative to the project going ahead as they're still clearly working on things.

 

[bedfordmassive]

Do we think the reduced revenue reflects tax breaks agreed since initial publication? From the budget on Wednesday, the increase in jobs would have driven increased tax via increased employer NI wouldn’t it?

The alternative is a downgrade in expected visitor numbers/sales per visitor?

 

[rob@rar]

Do we think the reduced revenue reflects tax breaks agreed since initial publication? From the budget on Wednesday, the increase in jobs would have driven increased tax via increased employer NI wouldn’t it?

The alternative is a downgrade in expected visitor numbers/sales per visitor?

Or the consultancy that did the work revised the figures upon advice from HM Treasury about the accepted way of making such estimates?

If you look at the metadata of the revised PDF document you can see if was modified on 28 October, a couple of days before the Budget. I'd be surprised if HM Treasury let Universal or their consultants know in advance of measures which might affect their long term economic performance so they could revise their assessment.

 

[Altonsky]

Employment opportunities rising to 25k from 20k may not be entirely accurate then considering this employer national insurance hike is going to be a huge additional cost to any employer.

 

[Scott W.]

Do we think the reduced revenue reflects tax breaks agreed since initial publication? From the budget on Wednesday, the increase in jobs would have driven increased tax via increased employer NI wouldn’t it?

The alternative is a downgrade in expected visitor numbers/sales per visitor?

I've always seen this website and assessment PDF as a way of convincing the public, not the government. So yeah, any tax breaks would be reflected here and if the public gets upset, this could be a type of PR to relax them a bit.

 

[rob@rar]

I've always seen this website and assessment PDF as a way of convincing the public, not the government.

I think the document on the Universal Project website is a summary of a much more detailed case which will be used by Universal in negotiations with the government. This was the economic case prepared for the (now failed) London Resort. I'd guess a very similar document exists for the Universal resort at Bedford, and is way more detailed than a PR document for the public would ever need to be. Based on some comments on LinkIn, I think Universal used Leisure Development Partners to assess independently the economic case for USGB.

 

[yepthatguy]

Do we think the reduced revenue reflects tax breaks agreed since initial publication? From the budget on Wednesday, the increase in jobs would have driven increased tax via increased employer NI wouldn’t it?

The alternative is a downgrade in expected visitor numbers/sales per visitor?

This was my first thought. I knew they’ve had a few “oopsies” on this site run by an agency, so maybe they are being a bit more thorough.

 

[Scott W.]

I think the document on the Universal Project website is a summary of a much more detailed case which will be used by Universal in negotiations with the government. This was the economic case prepared for the (now failed) London Resort. I'd guess a very similar document exists for the Universal resort at Bedford, and is way more detailed than a PR document for the public would ever need to be. Based on some comments on LinkIn, I think Universal used Leisure Development Partners to assess independently the economic case for USGB.

I dread to think how much a report like this would cost.

 

[rob@rar]

I dread to think how much a report like this would cost.

Not cheap, for sure. But one more sign, amongst many, that Universal are very serious about this project.

 

[ProjectUniversal]

The people that sold the land to Universal own huge chunks of land near the park.
They did not own Stewartby brickworks, that's always been owned by Hanson.
The extra land could be anywhere right up to the M1 as they own 100's acres including the big lake at Kempston Hardwick and for example they also own Stewartby lake, they also own the land where Lidlingtoin Brickworks stood and also 100's acres around Lidlington.