A Universal theme park could be coming to the UK - and make Britain home to Europe's biggest theme park. The American giant is currently on the verge of securing a major deal on a nearly 500-acre site near Bedford. Comcast, Universal’s owner, is reportedly  on the edge of finalising an agreement which is set to transform the former brickworks land into a multi-billion-pound generating attraction. 

Sources close to the negotiations, which have been ongoing since last summer, have revealed the announcement could come as soon as next week, GB News reports. Now, efforts to finalise the deal have been accelerating to approve the theme park. The development could generate a staggering £50billion of economic value for Britain across its first 20 years, Universal Destinations & Experiences analysis shows.

Both the theme park and the resort are expected to generate 20,000 jobs in total, providing a huge boost to the local economy.

Nearly half of these are predicted to be direct employment, while the rest provide services to supply the site. Initial estimates suggest that over 75% of the workforce would come from Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes.

Over the 20-year period, the UK government is predicted to gain an additional £14.1bn in tax revenue, as developers anticipate visitors flocking in the millions each year. Of these, approximately one-third is expected to come from overseas in a major lift to the tourism industry. 

Comcast has been negotiating with the Treasury about a bundle of incentives known in government as "Project Nectarine". These include wider improvements to roads and rail infrastructure to support the theme park and resort.

The development would pose a major new commitment to the UK by a US company, standing as a significant boost for Chancellor Rachel Reeves who has faced a string of economic challenges. 

In February, Universal Studios applied to trademark its name in the UK relating to advertising services; hotels, restaurants, bar and cafe services; and amusement park, theme park and water park services.

Government sources have stated that talks are “ongoing and nothing is agreed” as of yet.