What do we know about Universal Studios' Bedfordshire plans?

Universal Destinations and Experiences said it would be many months before it made a decision on any plans for a theme park in Bedfordshire

Universal Destinations and Experiences has movie-related resorts in places like Hollywood in the United States, Osaka in Japan and Beijing in China. It currently has its sights on a new theme park in Bedfordshire. What do we know so far?

Late last year it emerged Universal Destinations and Experiences had bought a 480-acre (194ha) parcel of land south of Bedford with a view to building a new theme park and resort experience there.

The firm is now carrying out four weeks of public meetings before deciding whether or not to go ahead with it.

The plot includes the former Kempston Hardwick brickworks and sits near the A6 and the A421 between Stewartby to the south, Wootton to the west and Kempston to the north.

It is a tract of land that Bedford Borough Council has identified for development and Universal says it is flat enough and large enough to build a "large-scale theme park resort" on.

Stewartby is 60 miles (100km) north of London, with its own railway station and close to the M1 and Luton Airport. Universal says the plot is "well connected for travel from all parts of the UK".

If built, it would become Universal's sixth resort and its only one in Europe.

Universal says it has also acquired the option to buy another parcel of land to the south west of the main plot which, if the project moves forward, would "allow a direct link" with the A421.

What is planned?

Universal says it "too early" to say what attractions might be included in its UK resort, but the Hollywood one features a Mario Kart ride

We know very little at the moment as to what attractions and rides the resort would actually offer.

The Hollywood park offers tours of its movie studios, rides based on films such as Minions, Harry Potter and Jurassic World, and themed "lands" such as Super Nintendo World and Transformers Metrobase.

Universal itself says "it is too early in the process to know the possibilities of featured attractions and experiences" in Bedfordshire.

Fields and a former brickworks in Stewartby, Bedfordshire have been purchased by Universal Studios

What we do know from the masterplan, however, is that four zones are planned - a "core zone", in which the theme park and hotel would be, a "lake zone", and two gateway zones (one to the east and one to the west).

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The actual theme park would be at the southern end of the site and would arc its way around the hotel, retail and entertainment area.

Also planned is a 4,200-space car park to accommodate the expected 35% of visitors who arrive by car.

Because of the scale of the project, any planning decision on it is expected to be made by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities rather than the local council.

Could Bedfordshire's infrastructure cope?

Dr Sabrina Mittermeier says the history of theme parks suggests they bring considerable economic benefits to their surrounding areas

Theme park history expert Dr Sabrina Mittermeier says Bedford will be forever changed if it is built.

She says theme parks bring considerable economic benefits to those surrounding them - but sometimes that comes at a cost.

"In the 1990s when Euro Disney was created, the French government was very interested in bringing Disney to France in terms of jobs, tourism and development," said Dr Mittermeier, a research associate at the University of Kassel in Germany and author of A Cultural History of the Disneyland Theme Parks.

"Usually, the local population supports it for the economic reasons. But you need to build a lot of infrastructure and all that comes out of state funds. France had to put in a lot of money to pay for road and rail improvements to accommodate millions of visitors."

In its information pack, Universal says if its plans went forward it would "help facilitate" a number of upgrades including:

• The construction of Wixams railway station

• The delivery of a new station on the East West Rail line near the resort

• Dedicated, direct slip roads from the A421 to accommodate circa 85% of its 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

New jobs?

Universal says it wants to employ "local residents first"

If building goes ahead, Universal says up to 5,000 workers would be involved.

The firm claims about 8,000 jobs would be created in the area once the resort became operational. After two decades, it claims that number would rise to 10,000.

"This project would become one of the largest single employers in Bedford, the surrounding areas, and indeed the UK," the firm says in its information pack.

"Evidence from our other theme parks suggests that for every job supported within the theme park, it can be expected that at least 1.5 further jobs would be supported across the economy, meaning a net additional 20,000 jobs would be supported by the project at its peak."

Universal says it wants to employ "local residents first" and believes 75% of its workforce would come from Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes.

What happens next?

Universal Orlando is a 541-acre theme park, larger than the Bedfordshire plot

Universal has started a 28-day period of "public engagement".

It says it wants to know what those living in the area think of the resort idea before it makes an application for planning permission.

"Collaboration and community engagement remain at the core of how we do business around the world," the firm says in its letter to residents.

"This public engagement represents an important milestone in our feasibility work; however, it will still be some time before any decisions are made on whether or not to proceed with this project."

Public exhibitions will be held on Saturday from 11:00 until 16:00 BST at Kimberley College in Stewartby and on Tuesday from 16:30 until 20:00 at Bedford College's Modern Methods of Construction building.