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Potential New Universal UK Park
- Thread starter Craig
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I almost think that news of whether this has been approved or not will end up getting leaked in advance of an “official” announcement by some random pokey construction or landscaping company who’s been contracted to pull all the grass up
I'm not sure Universal will announce anything officially until Epic Universe has had it's big opening. Unless info comes out that basically pre-empts an announcement. But from the shipment of concrete blocks and heras fencing to the brickworks and the new trademark I'm of the opinion that negotiations with the Gov are all but done. Probs just waiting to cross some t's and dot some i's and as such Universal have started the prep-work for the construction base.
Craig
TS Administrator
Most likely this is for more extensive surveying/core sampling to take place around the site. With the potential of some sort of announcement comes more people heading to the area too, you don’t want people wandering around and getting an injury from tripping in those holes that are dug or messing with equipment on site.
That’s a good thing, because it does likely mean that they’re generally happy to go ahead and fork out more money to kick off the planning process.
Again though, and I can’t keep stressing this enough, it doesn’t mean that they can just kick off construction. The resort must go through the planning process regardless of popularity. There’s no secret deals to skip this process.
That’s a good thing, because it does likely mean that they’re generally happy to go ahead and fork out more money to kick off the planning process.
Again though, and I can’t keep stressing this enough, it doesn’t mean that they can just kick off construction. The resort must go through the planning process regardless of popularity. There’s no secret deals to skip this process.
I can't imagine enabling works will not take long, the site itself is flat and easily accessible. The concrete slab on the other side of the site is perfect for storing materials and machinery. I'm not sure how planning works with the SDO.
I would also assume work has gone out to tender with various construction firms, if we get any kind of leak it could come from here.
I would also assume work has gone out to tender with various construction firms, if we get any kind of leak it could come from here.
GooseOnTheLoose
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The most revelatory thing about this is that they didn't have protection for their theme park brand in the UK in the first instance. I'm genuinely shocked.
Disneyland has been registered as a trademark in the UK since 1997, for the magic classes. I'm sure that announcement is just right around the corner too.
Matt N
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I am interested in whether the alleged use of an SDO here might speed things up somewhat, though.
I thought this project would have a DCO like the London Resort, but others seem to think it’ll be granted through an SDO, which is apparently a form of fastracked planning consent typically reserved for critical infrastructure.
Downside of this is that your unlikely to see planning docs pop up on the local council planning portal.
Does the SDO effectively give them automatic planning consent? I'm not sure how it works
QTXAdsy
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Cue the sound of Merlin utter crapping themselves...so much so that they sacked their whole entertainment department!
Craig
TS Administrator
No, there is nothing that can give Universal automatic planning consent. A DCO still has to have a mandatory 30 day public consultation after submission. That’ll be heavily publicised too.
The application and a report detailing the comments received after consultation then goes to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government for review and a decision. It is then laid before Parliament and approved by the Commons and House of Lords by vote. That permission can still include conditions that require further consultation for certain elements like the transport network or sewage systems for example.
Of course there’s the potential of legal challenges and hiccups along the way if an SDO was even accepted for Universal too. They’ve most recently been used for repurposing things like RAF Scampton for temporary asylum accommodation and haven’t been heavily used for things like a theme park before. While I absolutely don’t foresee a kick off like we did for Scampton, the potential is still there for some sort of objection to cause issues or delay.
So in short, you’re not gonna suddenly see a Mack Mega Coaster appear on the Bedfordshire horizon in a few weeks without any sort of peek at some sort of official plans!
Universal also need to be a good neighbour and be clear and forthcoming with the local community to keep the support they have. They’ve done that so far already, so I don’t see that changing as things progress.
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Benjsh
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Wasn't there a good few months of construction at Epic Universe before they officially announced the project to the public? Everyone knew something was coming but officially it hadn't been announced.
Will be same here I think. I can see them going to town on this site over next 6 months and we have not even get an announcement until close to Christmas
Will be same here I think. I can see them going to town on this site over next 6 months and we have not even get an announcement until close to Christmas
Craig
TS Administrator
There was but this is a brand new park in a new continent for Universal (PA’s past aside). If there is some government support coming in from it too, you can be sure they’ll be shouting about it - especially with the whole growth agenda going on. Orlando is already teeming with theme parks so it’s a lot easier to keep things under the radar. Not to mention planning is a much more polarising issue in the UK too,
AltonLover123
TS Member
Yeah. They’ll make sure every bit of information is slapped in our faces from the moment it’s announced.
QTXAdsy
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Well then, this post is aging like wine given news of more Merlin cuts...honestly just the mere sight of Merlin crapping the bed is likely encouraging Universal to go for it.
GooseOnTheLoose
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The sight of the UK's largest theme park operator, reacting to the economic climate and making drastic cuts across the board, in preparation for the a tough few financial years, is likely to encourage Universal to invest here?
I understand your sentiment, but you're slightly off with your prediction.
QTXAdsy
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I'm just saying that the UK is an easy market to attack compared to others in Europe with Merlin as the only show in town with the rest being all a irrelevance (no disrespect of course) and given Merlin's own issues (either from their own making or other outside issues) means Universal will smell blood in the water.
Then again I do wonder if/when Universal UK is opened by 2030 as planned if Merlin's UK parks will still be part of that company or would have been sold off in the worst case scenario if the company really is in dire straights financially and there is nothing left to cut.
There was major objection to Scampton, I live down the road and the protesters erected a semi permanent camp that they manned 24/7, burning barrels full of wood, banners, flags - huge opposition to it from the local and regional communities…but it was still going ahead! Change of government put an end to it I believe.
owenstreet7
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They're probably thinking it'll be a lot easier with Merlin doing lots of cuts.
I think by the time Universal opens, Towers will lose it's status as UK's best and largest theme park to a rapidly expanding Paultons.
Thorpe Park has it's niche with the thrills but that best all round theme park will have a lot of competition by the time Universal opens as you have Paultons, Alton, Chessington, Drayton Manor, Blackpool and Flamingo Land.
The former 4 will be in close competition for best all round theme park and that will be because Towers is losing it's importance.
Matt N
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As much as their momentum is exciting and they're pumping out brilliantly executed stuff, I personally question whether Paultons will ever "beat" Towers as "the UK's best and largest theme park". Or at very least, I question whether it's the foregone conclusion that some make it out to be. I'm not saying it won't happen, but I think the hype is perhaps slightly premature at present.
For starters, their location is too poor relative to Towers, I feel. They aren't badly located per se, with Southampton and Portsmouth on their doorstep and London not being too far away, but from the standpoint of becoming a national tier theme park like Alton Towers, I think their location is slightly lacking. While they aren't that far from London, they aren't really overly close to London either, and for anyone north of Birmingham (which is not an insignificant cross section of the population), I'd wager the drive to Paultons is too far to be feasible and for the park to have much reach within these areas. A location like Alton Towers', or the proposed site of Universal's project up in Bedford, capture a substantial percentage of the UK population within a reasonable catchment area in a way that Paultons Park's location doesn't.
There are also a few things I think I'd want to see from Paultons before declaring that they're in contention to earn the reputation of "the UK's best and largest theme park". I personally think they'd need to widen their target demographic a little and build slightly more for older children to open themselves up to that "whole family" demographic. At present, I'd argue that the park is more of a "young family" park than a "whole family" park, and has limited appeal for families with older children.
If I'm being hypercritical, I'd also argue that I think Paultons would need to build something a little bit bolder and more daring to take Towers' crown. They are undeniably building some brilliant stuff, but I'd argue that nothing they've currently done is overly bold or daring on the countrywide or international stage. I don't necessarily mean big thrill rides, just a statement attraction that really grabs countrywide and/or international attention and tells people that Paultons Park means business. As much as people can talk about "the experience" of Alton Towers in the 90s, I think the thing that really earned them their name was those bold, daring attraction installations. Corkscrew, Congo River Rapids, The Haunted House, Nemesis, Oblivion and the like were big, bold additions that were real trailblazers and garnered huge attention. Whereas I'd argue that a lot of Paultons Park's recent additions, while excellent in terms of finish, have been a bit more on the conservative side in the grand scheme of things.
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