While there are lots of construction and updates happening to the Universal parks in both Orlando and Hollywood, we can’t forget about the new park coming to the United Kingdom!

©Universal | UK Theme Park

Back in April 2025, it was confirmed that a new Universal park would be making its way to the UK, and we’ve been watching for updates ever since. Right in the middle of December 2025, the UK Government officially approved permission for Universal to begin planning for a Universal Destinations and Experiences theme park and resort in Bedford, but that was the last update we heard. That’s all changing now, though, because there’s a new update — a specific utilities group has now been assigned to create new community infrastructure in Bedford for the park!

On February 23rd, 2026, a press release from Universal announced that ESP Utilities Group had been appointed to “design, build, and operate significant new community infrastructure in Bedford,” which is right where the new park is planned to be. The company will work closely with both Universal and the Bedford Borough Council, as well as “key local providers,” to create the additional infrastructure and support to begin bringing the park to life.

©Universal via BBC

The press release outlines specific infrastructure updates, including, but not limited to:

• A substantial new water treatment facility that will be located on Universal’s site and be designed to reuse and recycle water where possible. The new site, adopted by ESP and designed and built by Veolia, will drastically reduce the amount of water the resort uses and the volume of sewerage to be discharged.
• Enhanced water management in the form of maximizing surface water drainage — rainwater will be collected locally to avoid flooding issues.
• A new primary substation that will result in a new electrical substation that will have the capacity to serve both Universal and the surrounding developments.
• An all-electric central energy plant that will help Universal align with the UK’s trajectory towards net zero by 2050. ESP and Veolia will work together to create an all-electric plant to provide low-carbon heating and cooling to the resort, as well as possibly the surrounding areas.
• Low-carbon transport in the form of one of the UK’s largest EV charging facilities for visitors to the Universal resort. A fleet of electric or other low-carbon transportation will transfer guests from local railway stations to the resort to additionally reduce impact.

©Universal

In the press release, Kevin O’Connor, Chief Executive Officer, ESP Utilities Group said, “With the support of our partners in Veolia, we are immensely proud to be able to deliver a pioneering water, power and energy strategy for the Entertainment Resort Complex and surrounding areas. Our model of long-term ownership, combined with Veolia’s outstanding operational capability, creates a complete solution that provides resilience for years to come, reduces energy demands, and supports Universal to meet its goal of world class sustainable infrastructure that can serve both the project and surrounding communities.”

We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest Universal news across all the parks and resorts, so stay tuned to DFB!

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