Yea and much less resistance. Apparently over 90% of locals surveyed are in favour of it and the 28k jobs it will create.
New theme park: Universal Studios… Bedford!
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Yea and much less resistance. Apparently over 90% of locals surveyed are in favour of it and the 28k jobs it will create.
Soldato
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I can see this ending up like Thorpe Park, great for the visitors, absolutely pants for the locals living in the area with the increase in noise and traffic.
This isn't a done deal though given it still needs to get signed off by other authorities.
This isn't a done deal though given it still needs to get signed off by other authorities.
Unless they plan to massively improve the surrounding road infrastructure on top of the planned A421 junction, then i can see the local roads like the A6, B530 and surrounding villages/towns (Wixams, Houghton Conquest etc) getting absolutely swamped with park traffic with everyone trying to find "shortcuts" to the entrance. And it's already pretty damn busy, especially at peak times, around those parts as is.
There's plenty of us locals that weren't though. Plus the headline figure of 28k jobs is (supposedly) being split between construction, 20k, and permanent, 8k.
Shame this isn't going ahead as it would have been a big boost for the area and would have tied nicely into the current stage at Cardington.
Soldato
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I already don't go to any of the theme parks that exist, so why would I go to this one? Surely it will just end up like Blackpool?
There's nowt wrong with Bedfordshire that can't be solved by burning Luton to the ground.
Most of the people are nice enough, but it is a depressing place full of 60's era architectural beauty...
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Is Alton Towers like Blackpool?
The trick to Bedford is to live in one of the many very pretty and quiet rural villages near Bedford, not in the centre, and then take advantage of the very quick train into London
I'm hoping that the investment into the rail infrastructure improves the frequency (which is already quite good) and reduces the duration even more.
That is far more relevant than the (imo stupid) Oxford Bedford Cambridge rail route that I know you know too well. I still selfishly don't see the point in that at all. Getting into and out of London is the only important rail route for Bedford from my perspective, as I can easily drive to Oxford or Cambridge but it takes too long to drive to London during the week.
You wont, but plenty of other people will.
Soldato
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I'll be sure to pass this on to Universal, I'm sure they'll be really concerned.
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Can you make $1bn/year from land banking? Methinks not. These parks make more than the movies, they’re giant money spinners.
Edit: Steven Spielberg gets 1-2% from all Universal park revenue, he’ll be happy
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I've seen these plans before and they don't fully materialise, I don't know of we have the weather or infrastructure for a proper theme park.Can you make $1bn/year from land banking? Methinks not. These parks make more than the movies, they’re giant money spinners.
Edit: Steven Spielberg gets 1-2% from all Universal park revenue, he’ll be happy
Man of Honour
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Mate - I left that basket case as it was driving me insane. I don't think I can work in central gov again, they just don't listen to their experts. That said they want to bring money into Bedford by allowing people to move there as per your argument about the rural villages - imagine being able to live there and commute to either London, Cambridge or Oxford? Seems quite a sweet spot, but yeah, the project itself is just run by stooges that haven't got a clue.The trick to Bedford is to live in one of the many very pretty and quiet rural villages near Bedford, not in the centre, and then take advantage of the very quick train into London
I'm hoping that the investment into the rail infrastructure improves the frequency (which is already quite good) and reduces the duration even more.
That is far more relevant than the (imo stupid) Oxford Bedford Cambridge rail route that I know you know too well. I still selfishly don't see the point in that at all. Getting into and out of London is the only important rail route for Bedford from my perspective, as I can easily drive to Oxford or Cambridge but it takes too long to drive to London during the week.
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The trick to Bedford is to live in one of the many very pretty and quiet rural villages near Bedford, not in the centre, and then take advantage of the very quick train into London
I'm hoping that the investment into the rail infrastructure improves the frequency (which is already quite good) and reduces the duration even more.
That is far more relevant than the (imo stupid) Oxford Bedford Cambridge rail route that I know you know too well. I still selfishly don't see the point in that at all. Getting into and out of London is the only important rail route for Bedford from my perspective, as I can easily drive to Oxford or Cambridge but it takes too long to drive to London during the week.
Some are being ruined with ugly copy/paste overpriced housing estates being tacked on the edges now. But it's the same all over the country
What's silly is they are slapping them around MK as well, completely disregarding the "green city" and dual-carriageway grid layout. So creating bottlenecks everywhere.
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It will be hell for a lot of the local residents, but its as much a done deal as it could ever be - money talks.
It will be great overall given the increase to the economy and I hope the locals get improved infrastructure, but I'll hold my breath on that front and suspect they'll be living in a pollution filled carpark.
Its getting there! Its been so woefully underinvested in recently that its falling apart.
One definite good side effect of this is that Merlin will be forced to invest in Alton Towers to be able to compete.
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Most of the rides are going to be indoors and the government and Universal are promising infrastructure upgrades.
how has the housing stock in Milton Keynes been maturing - built in 80s with the lower insulation standards and building standards
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I don't get that they think Bedford can become a theme park tourism destination without having other attractions - do people really visitDisneyland Paris or Orlando without also being attracted&spending nearby;
brexit still has a long shadow too, and we need to make a choice between our european/chinese/american friends.
The inbound tourism organisation predicts a record 43.4 million visits in 2025, with spend of £33.7 billion. That will be 19 per cent above the amount that foreign tourists spent in the last pre-Covid, pre-Brexit year, 2019 – but, allowing for inflation, around 9 per cent down.
The BBC article says it’s 40 minutes from the WB Harry Pooter (typo left in deliberately) studio tour thing.
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