Universal Studios United Kingdom Has Been Granted Planning Permission

Universal Studios United Kingdom has received its long-awaited planning permission from the UK Government to build its theme park.

In a letter sent to Mohammad Yasin, the Labour MP for Bedford and Kempston, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, stated that the government had issued a Special Development Order (SDO) for the park to be constructed.

Yasin himself had previously noted that the planning permission would be granted before the end of 2025, as expected, so this fits right on schedule with the previous indications given by Universal executives.

Having planning permission for an SDO makes life easier for large-scale projects such as Universal’s park, as it allowed the government to approve the project directly, rather than have Comcast jump through local planning procedures.

As per an article from the BBC, Page Thompson, the President of New Ventures at Universal Destinations and Experiences stated that “I want to express my sincere appreciation for the continued engagement from Bedford and the various communities surrounding our site, as well as the many other national and local stakeholders who have provided feedback and expressed such enthusiasm on the transformative nature of our project.”

A government spokesperson noted that the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed, had given “proper and impartial consideration to the planning merits” of Universal’s application, which was submitted back in late June 2025.

With planning permission now granted, it’s expected that Universal will begin work on the site early next year. The SDO comes into force on January 12th 2026, so expect work to begin after that. Mohamed Yasin’s meeting with Universal executives revealed that the first work on the site is expected to be on “habitat relocation, detailed archaeological protection surveys, and the construction of slip roads to allow access for construction vehicles.

When Universal’s planning permission document revealed some exciting details about the upcoming park, such as the fact that actual resort construction is likely to begin in Q4 2027 ahead of the park’s 2031 opening date, plus that Universal is expecting up to 8.5 million visitors a year for the park.

In the documentation, Universal itself described that guests would experience “adrenaline-pumping coasters”, “mind-blowing spectaculars” and would “come face-to-face with incredible creatures, heroes, and villains”, while they would also “discover great food, new laughs, new ways to play, and step into immersive worlds they’ve only ever dreamed of.” It also recently registered the potential name for the park with the UK Intellectual Property Office a couple of months ago.

It was previously revealed that Universal’s impending UK park would “unlock several longstanding transport upgrades” in a letter sent to local residents back in May 2025, committing that the park would work for expanding Wixams railway station as well as for adding direct slip roads from the A421 to the park for accommodating the sea of road traffic, and upgrading Manor Road that runs by the site.

Read more about everything we know so far about Universal Studios United Kingdom.