£80m boost for authority ahead of Universal project

A government package of "significant" financial support will be offered to a local authority set to welcome the UK's first Universal Studios theme park.

The government said £80m would be given to Bedford Borough Council as part of Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) to help stabilise its finances.

The figure comprises £22m of support for this financial year and a further £58m for next year.

Mohammad Yasin, the Labour MP for Bedford and Kempston, said he was "grateful that ministers have listened and acted" to support the council as it prepared for "the significant investment associated with the proposed Universal Studios project".

The US operator was granted planning permission in December to build a destination spanning 268 hectares (662 acres) on a former brickworks at Kempston Hardwick, south of Bedford.

Universal is expecting to welcome 8.5 million annual visitors to the theme park from 2031, when it is scheduled to open.

Yasin and Alison McGovern, the minister for local government, had lobbied for the EFS funding as Bedford Borough Council grapples with a multi-million pound shortfall.

Peterborough and Thurrock are among dozens of other local authorities set to benefit from the EFS scheme.

In a statement, Yasin said: "This support is not a blank cheque. It comes alongside the ongoing Best Value inspection and clear expectations that the council must improve governance, strengthen financial management and deliver better value for residents.

"The inspection must mark a turning point, to rebuild public confidence, strengthen accountability and put the council on a sustainable footing."

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