Plans step up for massive new theme park to rival Disney World, to be built just 25 minutes away from Milton Keynes

A multi-million pound project to open a Universal Studios theme park just 25 minutes away from MK could be considered by the government under a specific planning arrangement.

The park would rival Disney World in Florida and be similar to the company’s massive venues in Hollywood, Beijing in China and Osaka in Japan.

It would create thousands of jobs for local people.

The chosen site is on 480 acres of land Kempston Hardwick and Stewartby, an area that once housed a famous brickworks where one in five of England’s bricks were made.

Universal Studio’s parent company Comcast Corporation has already purchased the land after rumours that they had first considered, and dismissed, Milton Keynes as a venue.

MK City Council sources say the entertainment giants found the city too pricey.

One source told the Citizen: “Land around MK is too expensive for this sort of thing as it’s all optioned for warehousing and logistics – and that’s almost as expensive as housing land right now.

"They chose where they have as it’s got Thameslink and is going to have a new Wixams station for East West Rail.”

Now it is expected that the company will approach the government for a planning decision over the next couple of months,

Central Bedfordshire Council’s deputy leader and Independent Biggleswade West councillor Hayley Whitaker said this week: “Universal says it’s now looking to explore planning permission via a special development order.

“This means the planning decision wouldn’t be made by CBC or Bedford Borough Council, but by the government."

It’s anticipated that public consultation will take place before any decisions.