West Northamptonshire welcomes regional summit to discuss opportunities of Universal UK Resort

Both the Leader and Chief Executive of West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) have joined local authority leaders, government ministers and regional stakeholders this week to discuss the significant opportunities that the proposed Universal UK Resort will bring to this region.

The roundtable, hosted in Bedford by Tourism Minister Stephanie Peacock MP on 19 August, brought together representatives from eight local authorities, Members of Parliament and Universal Destinations & Experiences to establish a coordinated regional approach to maximising the benefits of the landmark development.

The proposed Universal UK Resort is expected to create around 28,000 jobs and generate an estimated £50 billion for the UK economy, making it one of the most significant leisure and tourism investments in the country's history. Northamptonshire’s proximity to this development makes it perfectly placed to benefit from the economic uplift of this significant investment.

Discussions focused on ensuring local communities, businesses and residents are well placed to benefit from the economic growth, skills development, tourism opportunities and inward investment associated with the project, which is currently planned to open in 2031.

Cllr Mark Arnull, Leader of WNC, said: "This is an incredibly exciting opportunity, for West Northants and the wider region. 

“The scale of investment and ambition behind the Universal UK Resort has the potential to create thousands of jobs, attract visitors from across the globe and provide lasting benefits for our local economy.

"We are keen to work closely with our regional partners and Universal to ensure West Northamptonshire is well positioned to share in these opportunities, whether through employment, skills development, supply chain opportunities for local businesses or increased visitor numbers to our area.

"The resort has the potential to be truly transformational, and we look forward to playing an active role in shaping the positive impact it can have for our communities and businesses in the years ahead. We are so pleased to see how the Government and Universal are using this as an opportunity to develop meaningful partnerships across the region, particularly for the South Midlands."

The Council will continue to engage with regional partners as plans progress, helping to ensure that West Northamptonshire is ready to benefit from the economic and tourism opportunities presented by the development.

Richard Clinton, Chair of the Northamptonshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), said: “Universal Studios United Kingdom will supercharge the local economy and further promote to the world that the UK is a top visitor destination. 

“On behalf of the Discover Northamptonshire LVEP, we are so excited to collaborate with partners within the sector to maximise opportunities for the whole region to benefit from including skills, investment, growth and more. Ahead of the opening in 2031, we will all work to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place for Northamptonshire to optimise all of the benefits and opportunities of Universal.

“This largescale development, along with the existing strengths of the County, showcase the region as a must-visit destination where there is something for the entire family to enjoy time and time again. We cannot wait to discuss all of the regional investment in the visitor economy as well as business growth, skills and more with top speakers at our Tourism Conference on 7 October; tickets are live for businesses to book.”