Universal Great Britain

[yepthatguy]

I think the traffic conversation is overstated.

I live in Bedford and the A421 really isn't bad at all - I used to commute out eastwards past the Black Cat roundabout and then up towards Peterborough or towards Cambridge. The only really bad bottleneck is between St Neots and Cambridge which easily added 20-30 mins during rush hour.

The new stretch of road between Black Cat and Claxton Gibbet will mean that the Black Cat roundabout that handles A1/A421 junction becomes a flyover and also the St Neots-Cambridge bottleneck goes away. Accessing the park from East will then be pretty easy (allowing for A1 traffic to the South - North towards Huntingdon was always clear).

M1/A421 junction at MK is a little more unpredictable, could be improved, but usually quiet outside of rush hour.

Weekends/hols are no problem at all. I get to MK in 20 mins and St Neots in 15, never really hit any traffic accessing M1 or A1.

I've lived in quite a few places round the UK, and have to say Bedford and surrounds are about the best traffic wise. There will be extra traffic for the park, but at least we're starting from a pretty good traffic situation which could be further mitigated with some development.

I think you’re spot on with that summary.

The traffic conversation I think mainly comes about for when things go wrong.

Especially With the Black Cat Upgrade, I feel the A421 could handle the traffic no problem in principle.

The potential issue is, that if that route becomes disrupted due to vehicle break down or accident, the additional traffic could impact the surrounding areas more than it does when this happens already.

Just my view but I suspect that is why Universal are apparently in direct talks with the UK Gov regarding the M1/A1 infrastructure.

 

[Altonsky]

How much do Universal usually agree to spend on external infrastructure?

What have they spent on external infrastructure for EU?

 

[jarmor]

So what else do people think they could do with Potter?

I say this as a mild Harry Potter fan that can’t think of anymore locations that haven’t already been used in Orlando.

Or, if they were bold, they could create the standard New York section and feature one potter attraction, the Magical Congress of the United States of America. Maybe even tie in a sit down restaurant as well.

​

 

[tommyhawkins]

How much do Universal usually agree to spend on external infrastructure?

What have they spent on external infrastructure for EU?

You looking at this the wrong way. Like I said Quid Pro Quo, the real question is how much is the next government willing to spend on infrastructure to support this park 20,000 construction jobs 8,000 at park and millions in tertiary income of the surrounding area buys you a lot when you've offering significant growth

 

[Altonsky]

You looking at this the wrong way. Like I said Quid Pro Quo, the real question is how much is the next government willing to spend on infrastructure to support this park 20,000 construction jobs 8,000 at park and millions in tertiary income of the surrounding area buys you a lot when you've offering significant growth

Well that’s a valid point and tbh despite the tories being absolute shits they are quite business friendly and aren’t afraid of giving out tax breaks for the movie industry etc with tax breaks up to 20%.

I assume they’ll be willing to invest in the infrastructure but don’t Universal usually offer to chip in as well?

 

[yepthatguy]

Well that’s a valid point and tbh despite the tories being absolute shits they are quite business friendly and aren’t afraid of giving out tax breaks for the movie industry etc with tax breaks up to 20%.

I assume they’ll be willing to invest in the infrastructure but don’t Universal usually offer to chip in as well?

Apologies to reply to a question not asked to me.

I do think the election has relevance. The new MP for Bedford is part of the Labour Party, and currently the Conversative party is in government and running the country (note for anyone not UK based). Any sort of government transition would be relevant but I feel regardless of the controlling party the stakes are the same for the town.

8,000 ongoing jobs to a town is definitely not to be sniffed at, so I too would love to know fly on the wall what they are offering to the current UK Gov and what the UK Gov are offering back in terms of infrastructure. The quid pro quo suggestion I think has legs.

I mean, does no one else think it’s a bit of a co-incidence that Epic Universe is right next to a Lockheed Martin site, and that the centre point of the land Universal has bought in Bedford is 4 miles away from a Lockheed Martin UK site?

The UK only has 3 official sites, North of Glasgow in a remote area, near Portsmouth close to multiple naval bases, and 4 miles south of Bedford on the way to Ampthill.

Tin foil hats at the ready.

 

[tommyhawkins]

Apologies to reply to a question not asked to me.

I do think the election has relevance. The new MP for Bedford is part of the Labour Party, and currently the Conversative party is in government and running the country (note for anyone not UK based). Any sort of government transition would be relevant but I feel regardless of the controlling party the stakes are the same for the town.

8,000 ongoing jobs to a town is definitely not to be sniffed at, so I too would love to know fly on the wall what they are offering to the current UK Gov and what the UK Gov are offering back in terms of infrastructure. The quid pro quo suggestion I think has legs.

I mean, does no one else think it’s a bit of a co-incidence that Epic Universe is right next to a Lockheed Martin site, and that the centre point of the land Universal has bought in Bedford is 4 miles away from a Lockheed Martin UK site?

The UK only has 3 official sites, North of Glasgow in a remote area, near Portsmouth close to multiple naval bases, and 4 miles south of Bedford on the way to Ampthill.

Tin foil hats at the ready.

Don't worry about the outcome of the election, Comcast won't be don't expect any announcements tied to that either, despite the speculation a while back. They're working to their own timeline

 

[Altonsky]

Apologies to reply to a question not asked to me.

I do think the election has relevance. The new MP for Bedford is part of the Labour Party, and currently the Conversative party is in government and running the country (note for anyone not UK based). Any sort of government transition would be relevant but I feel regardless of the controlling party the stakes are the same for the town.

8,000 ongoing jobs to a town is definitely not to be sniffed at, so I too would love to know fly on the wall what they are offering to the current UK Gov and what the UK Gov are offering back in terms of infrastructure. The quid pro quo suggestion I think has legs.

I mean, does no one else think it’s a bit of a co-incidence that Epic Universe is right next to a Lockheed Martin site, and that the centre point of the land Universal has bought in Bedford is 4 miles away from a Lockheed Martin UK site?

The UK only has 3 official sites, North of Glasgow in a remote area, near Portsmouth close to multiple naval bases, and 4 miles south of Bedford on the way to Ampthill.

Tin foil hats at the ready.

Valid! I think no matter what political party is in charge they’ll be cooperative, beggars can’t exactly be choosers in this economy and turning away billions because they’re being penny wise pound foolish isn’t exactly a good look.

I think tax breaks on capital expenditure during construction could be on the cards personally and that wouldn’t surprise me.

What are your suspicions with Lockheed Martin? I didn’t even know they had a site so close but it’s literally a few fields away haha.

 

[graspthesun]

I know Universal and Orlando partnered for road improvements around Epic Universe. Universal is fronting the cost of most of the road contruction and is getting reimbursed around half through tax breaks and other considerations.

 

[ZeroSight]

Local here, my house is on the map on the Universal GB website... With the already confirmed changes to the local transport links, I don't see any major issues. If Alton Towers can handle the numbers they do with everybody having to drive through narrow villages (public transport to AT is basically non existant), then Universal GB will have no issue with a motorway and dual carriageway access. And in addition a mainline rail link on the doorstep. Reading a few posts up about potential breakdowns on the A421. If people can't stop in a lay by, they will always park on the grass verge, off the carriageway. The only times a lane is blocked is due to a road traffic collision/incident. Although us locals know in that case if travelling east/west you can use the old A421 which is paralell between J13 and Bedford.

 

[Ludus]

Local here, my house is on the map on the Universal GB website... With the already confirmed changes to the local transport links, I don't see any major issues. If Alton Towers can handle the numbers they do with everybody having to drive through narrow villages (public transport to AT is basically non existant), then Universal GB will have no issue with a motorway and dual carriageway access. And in addition a mainline rail link on the doorstep. Reading a few posts up about potential breakdowns on the A421. If people can't stop in a lay by, they will always park on the grass verge, off the carriageway. The only times a lane is blocked is due to a road traffic collision/incident. Although us locals know in that case if travelling east/west you can use the old A421 which is paralell between J13 and Bedford.

How has the local reception been to this development from your experience?

 

[yepthatguy]

What are your suspicions with Lockheed Martin? I didn’t even know they had a site so close but it’s literally a few fields away haha.

Haha honestly, it was just something I noticed and thought I’d mention for a bit of fun. It could well, and likely is, a complete coincidence and totally not related to any of this. Ride tech maybe?

 

[ZeroSight]

How has the local reception been to this development from your experience?

Very positive and to be honest a lot of people are in disbelief and were shocked when the news came out. Partly because Comcast already owned the land for a while without anybody knowing about it. There's inevitably going to be some push back from some, but I've not spoken to anybody that's opposed to it. People are excited about the prospect of having a world class destination on our doorstep.

 

[DanM]

Haha honestly, it was just something I noticed and thought I’d mention for a bit of fun. It could well, and likely is, a complete coincidence and totally not related to any of this. Ride tech maybe?

I use to work for BAE AI and I know that LM in the UK are pretty limited, essentially a subsidiary to support their US made products. The UK defence budget is also way too small to fund anything top secret that’s particularly interesting these days. I’d be 99% sure it’s just a coincidence and there’s no involvement at all.

There may be some engineering support talent there that could fancy a move to a world class theme park though…

 

[yepthatguy]

I use to work for BAE AI and I know that LM in the UK are pretty limited, essentially a subsidiary to support their US made products. The UK defence budget is also way too small to fund anything top secret that’s particularly interesting these days. I’d be 99% sure it’s just a coincidence and there’s no involvement at all.

There may be some engineering support talent there that could fancy a move to a world class theme park though…

That’s a cool insight, thank you. I’ve driven past it many times and always thought it looked like an interesting place. It was just pure conjecture and Friday night fun the suggestion.

A bit like Cranfield Airport only being 7 miles away from the site too.

“Cranfield Airport is the best kept secret in business aviation for the London area, making it the perfect choice for those looking for privacy, convenience and above all a speedy transfer.”

About – Cranfield Airport

cranfieldairport.com

That’s handy for a big project!

On a more solid note, Manor Road which cuts through the 2 land parcels is now reopen to traffic, so the bore holes have been dug relating to the early stages of a bridge being built to cross the train line.

From their website they are considering 3 options.

https://eastwestrail-production.s3....ossing-Closure-Kempston-Hardwick-option-1.pdf

https://eastwestrail-production.s3....ossing-Closure-Kempston-Hardwick-option-2.pdf

https://eastwestrail-production.s3....ossing-Closure-Kempston-Hardwick-option-3.pdf

 

[bedfordmassive]

How has the local reception been to this development from your experience?

Lots of chatter at the school gate - all very positive

 

[DanM]

That’s a cool insight, thank you. I’ve driven past it many times and always thought it looked like an interesting place. It was just pure conjecture and Friday night fun the suggestion.

A bit like Cranfield Airport only being 7 miles away from the site too.

“Cranfield Airport is the best kept secret in business aviation for the London area, making it the perfect choice for those looking for privacy, convenience and above all a speedy transfer.”

About – Cranfield Airport

cranfieldairport.com

That’s handy for a big project if your an important person who needs to get here and back regularly. Private jet, private runway, then a discreet 15 minute car private journey through the english countryside to their new site in literally middle England… oh no… this has got Lord Of The Rings written all over it!!!!!

On a more solid note, Manor Road which cuts through the 2 land parcels is now reopen to traffic, so the bore holes have been dug relating to the early stages of a bridge being built to cross the train line.

From their website they are considering 3 options.

https://eastwestrail-production.s3....ossing-Closure-Kempston-Hardwick-option-1.pdf

https://eastwestrail-production.s3....ossing-Closure-Kempston-Hardwick-option-2.pdf

https://eastwestrail-production.s3....ossing-Closure-Kempston-Hardwick-option-3.pdf

Yeah I understand Marshall aerospace are moving to the airport as well. Very exciting times to be in the area no doubt.

 

[yepthatguy]

Yeah I understand Marshall aerospace are moving to the airport as well. Very exciting times to be in the area no doubt.

I didn’t know that, that’s interesting indeed. Nice one!

 

[tommyhawkins]

That’s a cool insight, thank you. I’ve driven past it many times and always thought it looked like an interesting place. It was just pure conjecture and Friday night fun the suggestion.

A bit like Cranfield Airport only being 7 miles away from the site too.

“Cranfield Airport is the best kept secret in business aviation for the London area, making it the perfect choice for those looking for privacy, convenience and above all a speedy transfer.”

About – Cranfield Airport

cranfieldairport.com

That’s handy for a big project!

On a more solid note, Manor Road which cuts through the 2 land parcels is now reopen to traffic, so the bore holes have been dug relating to the early stages of a bridge being built to cross the train line.

From their website they are considering 3 options.

https://eastwestrail-production.s3....ossing-Closure-Kempston-Hardwick-option-1.pdf

https://eastwestrail-production.s3....ossing-Closure-Kempston-Hardwick-option-2.pdf

https://eastwestrail-production.s3....ossing-Closure-Kempston-Hardwick-option-3.pdf

This would probably be the preferred option for Universal.



However, this is all the more reason why they need to get moving with the NSIP as that will cover this sort of thing before shovels get in the ground as what they might have planned directly impacts this area.

I'm confused, what exactly are the worries about infrastructure people have? Specifically what roads?

 

[bedfordmassive]

I'm not really sure what the worry is.

The A1 side/blackcat roundabout hotspot is being sorted, ground already broken to turn that into a flyover with A1 and continue the road along to Cambridge and thence to Ipswich. M1 side decent, have never really had long delays specific to turning off the M1 onto the A421 even at busy times (was driving that way today and noticed they've left space for an extra couple of lanes on the central reservation where the A421 meets the M1 too). The A421 dual carriageway is pretty wide with extra lanes for some of the bigger junctions and verges/hard shoulders.

I guess there's a question of where traffic will leave the A421 to access the site?

I used to come off the A421 at the A5141 junction (the one on the right in the map below) as I lived in that part of town and it was never bad even during rush hour. However, getting onto the B530 which goes down the east side of the Universal site is a bit of a pain - you have to come off the A421 at the A5141, go north to the B530 and turn left past interchange retail park - badly planned road there and lots of queues from people going to the retail park. I doubt that would be the way it would be accessed though.

I'd guess access would be from the left junction on the map though anyway (by Maypole Farm pub). Bigger junction, most traffic coming off it is heading North around the A6 bypass, and A421 goes to 3 lanes for a bit to keep traffic flowing on the East side. I'd guess the car park would be accessed from there by turning on to Manor Road. Probably some improvements could be made there but it's nothing earth shattering - pretty small scale road changes to keep things flowing. The area on the left of the map is absolutely filled with distribution centres. Massive new places with dozens of truck bays that have been going up over the past few years specifically because the road infrastructure is good.

@tommyhawkins - where did you reckon the car park would be again?