Universal has filed a trademark application in the United Kingdom that appears to signal the name of the country’s first Universal Studios theme-park resort.
On Sept. 8 the company submitted an application with the U.K. Intellectual Property Office for the phrase "Universal United Kingdom Resort," listing a range of services and goods under the mark, including "entertainment and amusement park services," hotels, clothing, toys and beverageware. The name would follow the pattern of the company’s other properties, such as Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Beijing Resort.
The project is planned for Broadmead Farm at Kempston Hardwick, near Bedford, and is expected to cover about 476 acres. Public documents and concept art released by the developer indicate the resort will include a theme park, a 500-room hotel, and a retail and entertainment complex. Universal and local officials have previously said the attraction is intended to be among the largest and most advanced theme parks in Europe and target an opening in 2031.
Construction activity on the farmland began in August, with drone footage shared online showing recently harvested fields, access cleared for vehicles and workers on site. Concept renderings circulated by supporters and contractors show a central lake and large roller-coaster structures. A YouTube account using the name Universally Bedford identified an area it described as the resort’s "core zone," saying it would include attractions tied to Illumination and the Minions franchise shown in published artwork.
The pending trademark application does not itself confirm the public name that will be used at opening, but the class descriptions listed by Universal indicate a broad scope of planned offerings and merchandise. The filing covers amusement services and a wide range of retail categories, suggesting the company is seeking rights to use the name across the resort experience.
Local authorities and residents have raised concerns about the scale of the development and its impact on infrastructure. The town council, speaking to Bedford Today, cited a planning submission projecting peak daily attendance of up to 55,000 visitors, noting the town’s population is approximately 8,000 and warning that regional services and quality of life could be affected. The council also referenced an estimated 200 percent rise in short-term accommodation listings in nearby Ampthill, warning of potential displacement of long-term residents.
Central government officials have highlighted potential benefits. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said the resort could create about 28,000 jobs—roughly 20,000 during the construction period and 8,000 for ongoing operations—and forecast that the project might generate nearly £50 billion for the British economy by 2055.
Universal first announced plans for the Bedfordshire resort in April. The trademark filing is the latest formal step in a process that includes local planning approvals, environmental assessments and infrastructure agreements that remain subject to regulatory review. Company officials have not publicly confirmed whether the trademarked phrase will be the final operating name used when the resort opens.
If adopted, the name would align the new development with Universal’s naming convention elsewhere and signal broader ambitions for branding and retail tied to the site. Work to prepare the site has continued amid public discussion of transport, housing and economic impacts, as stakeholders weigh the commercial aims of the project against local and regional planning considerations.