Vibrant History
The residents of Bedford are being asked by Universal Studios for input on building a theme park celebrating the town’s “vibrant history.” The entertainment giant has revealed plans for a 476-acre resort in the English countryside.
Bedford, is an English market town, that was once believed by a religious sect to be the location of the original Garden of Eden. Now, Universal Destinations & Experiences are investigating the possibilities of building one of Europe’s biggest and most attractive theme parks there.
Universal recently released a document that outlines their proposals on the development of the 480-acre site that they have bought and the improvements of the local transport infrastructure to ensure the smooth integration of the resort into the Bedfordshire countryside.
Included in their plans are…
- The construction of Wixams railway station
- The delivery of a new station on the East West Rail line in close proximity to the resort
- Dedicated, direct slip roads from the A421 to accommodate circa 85% of our road traffic
- An upgraded Manor Road, to tie in with new railway bridge being delivered by Network Rail to replace the Manor Road level crossing
- Improvements and upgrades to the Active Travel Network
The extent of the project is approximately 700 acres in size. It includes the approximately 476 acres purchased last year, along with a smaller parcel of land to the southwest, which Universal Studios have an option to acquire. This parcel of land would allow a direct link between the site and the A421, as well as other local transport routes that would be improved through this project.
Along with their theme parks Universal also include CityWalk. A non-ticketed area by the entrance to the parks that includes restaurants and spectacular live entertainment. CityWalk’s themed restaurant experiences are very different from typical establishments and therefore are not direct competitors to the leisure options that you typically find on the high street or in a town centre.
