Council May Seek Government Cash to Help Cope with Universal Theme Park

Bedford Borough Council is preparing to ask the Government for funding to cover infrastructure needs linked to the proposed Universal Studios theme park.

An extraordinary meeting of the council’s executive on Wednesday 27 August was due to confirm support for the 268-hectare development while also recognising its potential negative effects. This followed a full council meeting on 21 August at which councillors agreed their response to the Government’s consultation on the scheme’s development consent order.

The executive was to be asked to seek a financial support package from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to help manage construction, local transport plans and the effects on the housing market during the build. The council also intends to seek money from public bodies to expand local health services and to improve housing and infrastructure.

A report to the meeting describes the project as nationally important and says the council backs the benefits it will bring, but acknowledges that residents and councillors have raised legitimate concerns about its impacts. While the council accepts that the development consent order addresses mitigation, it wants those measures to be secured by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Source: UK Property Forums, original article (26 August 2025)