Universal studios on my doorstep

[Queenofkittens]

So universal studios have been given the green light to go ahead and plan a park in Bedford. I actually live in Wixams, the newer village and have done for the past 5 years. Universal studios will be right on my doorstep and I'm not sure how I feel about it. One part of me is excited to have something so close that will be great for the kids and so on and the other part of me is dreading it. The traffic for starters. Also, I'm aware that house prices (including mine) are set to increase meaning we will have definitely made some money on it but we weren't planning on staying forever as we ideally need a larger house so our boys don't have to share a room. However, I understand we won't be able to afford a bigger house in wixams but will I even be able to buy a house in Bedford at all? Are the prices going to be so ridiculous that I won't be able to live here (which I have for the last 31 years!). Does anyone think I'm being silly (AIBU) or would you genuinely be worried? (YANBU)

I think that you need to be more concerned about the disruption that the construction will cause. I live very close to a massive construction project which has been ongoing for years and has massively overrun and has caused and continues to cause significant issues for the local area.

It will be great. Swathes of the countryside will be dug up to make way for it and the amount of land concreted over to make the new large scale car parks will be impressive. Then you’ll have the added bonus of some new roads added in with all the added benefits of the noise and pollution that accompanies these things. You’ll reap the rewards of the traffic jams on high days and holidays when people flock to the attraction so you can’t go about your usual business. Plus just imagine the thrill of so much more pointless human consumption, one use plastics and general rubbish that gets generated and thrown away at these sort of sites. The wildlife will love it too. What’s not to celebrate about all of this?

Oohhhh hope you've got upstairs juliet balconies and can see the fireworks from there!

Rename your house Universal View and air b and b rooms.

I always say we now live in a theme park in a tourist town in Cornwall. It does have advantages and disadvantages for sure but we can always move.

I'm sure the planning and build will take a decade.

But if you visit Alton Towers for example, the roads aren’t gridlocked for miles getting in, the vast majority have lots of road within the site itself that manages the traffic.

Also, I’d assume it involves upgrades to the road network, they aren’t going to just plonk it on the site and hope for the best because no one wants to visit an attraction where you queue all day to get in.

If they are also building a train station, your house is going to jump in value no end!

Personally I think it’s great, a huge boost to the local area.

My concern would be the construction traffic but as you live at Wixams you must have some experience of it anyway!

I am North Beds. I think it’s a great thing. Lots of money will be spent in the area and lots of upgrades of roads in the area

They are supposed to be helping build a bigger Wixams station for a start plus another one on the local line that will be east west rail eventually and with the Luton expansion hopefully people will use public transport rather than cars

Yes some people living locally won’t like it but everyone I have spoken to over the past six months supports it

If you actually look at the site it’s brownfield it’s the old brick works mainly and was originally in the Bedford Local Plan to have 1000 houses built there, plus I think done employment

That train station is on a terrible line. Tiny little infrequent trains and no connection to any main stations...unless the station is on the mainline?

Are those the same people who are upset about the new train line in North Beds?
I am confused about road access as the plans aren't too clear on that.

the Thames link line is London to Corby and the marston vale line is Bletchley to Bedford and will form part of the new east west rail line. So Oxford to Cambridge

Most weeks?? 😮
Do you have a free pass?

@Piggywaspushed East West rail is coming to Bedford. The issue is they want the line to go North which will mean the hospital can’t expand four bridges have to be replaced 60 odd houses demolished to allow new lines out of Bedford and a high huge viaduct across the flood plain and then north across hilly land so lots of tunnels and cuttings. However if they followed the A421 it’s flatter and better

but what will be will be

i am not sure about road access. I understand the A421 will be upgraded in some way

Work on the Marston Vale section is planned for 2025-2030. It hasn't actually started yet.

If the park opens in 2031, as conjectured in previous posts, improvements to the line may be finished by then. Overruns and overspends permitting.

Not everyone, locally, is happy.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-14587573/locals-fury-Universal-theme-park-UK.html

Yes, this rather makes my point. Thameslink actually goes to Bedford. The Marston line is the tiny one. Bletchley isn't a big station and the trains are infrequent. We'll have to see how these train lines work , I suppose.

No, it will happen. If the local authority rejects the planning application, Rachel Reeves and Angela Rayner can call it in and overturn the decision. And by associating themselves so strongly with the announcement, they’ve made quite clear that they will do that if it comes to it.

They’re going to build a new station on the Thameslink line at Wixams. That’ll be the major link for people coming up from London and Luton/Gatwick Airports presumably.

Right, OK. Didn't know if it was Thameslink or not.

I'm yet to be convinced that a total reliance on service economy jobs is actually a good thing.

And as people going to the theme park will generally be travelling towards Bedford during the morning rush hour (when commuters are going the other way, towards London), and vice versa in the evenings, the trains shouldn’t be too busy either.

Universal builds amazing theme parks. I love the Florida parks and can’t wait to visit Epic Universe this summer, which took about 5 years to build.

Like everything, there will be pros and cons, but I think the positives will outweigh the negatives.

Just say you hate economic growth and be done with it!

It will bring some much needed money and infrastructure to the area.

Yeh, some locals won't like it, but what are the actual prospects for Bedford and the neighboring towns?
(Other than being comuter central for London?)

I am sooo excited about this. It's going to be a huge boost to the economy and tourism.
As a huge theme park fan and regular visitor to Florida I have been following this news since first announced.
There is no question that this is now definitely happening and I am sure 2031 will see the opening as planned. The concept art looks amazing.

Bedford is a dump anyway. All it currently offers is Yarl’s Wood. It’s a good thing OP

We will be affected by this because of the extra planes at Luton airport and extra traffic on the M1 but I think the UK really needs the jobs and income from foreign visitors this will create.

Can you explain how it will actually actively help the town of Bedford? I don't get it.