Bedfordshire could generate extra £5bn a year for UK economy after Universal and Luton Airport plans

A building boom across one of the UK's fastest-growing counties is set to add up to five billion pounds a year to the UK economy, ITV News Anglia can reveal.
Europe's newest theme park, an airport expansion and a raft of other investment projects promise to trigger a gold rush in Bedfordshire, with tens of thousands of new jobs created in construction, hospitality and associated industries.
Figures compiled for ITV News by the Bedford Chamber of Commerce suggest that up to an additional £5bn a year will be generated by projects which include the redevelopment of Luton Hoo, a golf venue and hotel hoping to host the sport's Ryder Cup, upgrading of the key A421 route and building of the East-West rail link.
Now locals and business leaders - including construction firms, pubs and farms - are working to make sure the "once-in-a-lifetime" benefits can be felt evenly across communities.
ITV News Anglia is exploring and explaining how the investment could change the face of the county in a special programme being broadcast on Thursday, 19 June.
A time of change in Bedfordshire
Universal
In April, Universal announced it would turn a sprawling 476-acre disused brickworks in Stewartby, near Bedford, into one of Europe's largest tourist attractions, set to open in 2031.
Bosses hope the theme park - located six miles south of Bedford in the hamlet of Kempston Hardwick - will see more than 8.5 million visitors in its first year, and the project is estimated to be worth £50 billion to the UK economy over the course of 30 years.
The construction is set to create 20,000 jobs, with over 5,000 workers needed on-site at the peak of the building work, and the resort and theme park is expected to create 8,000 new jobs in the hospitality and creative industries.
NBCUniversal has said 80% of these jobs should go to people in Bedfordshire and the surrounding area.
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Luton Airport
Less than a week before the Universal announcement, the government approved plans to expand Luton Airport in a move that could nearly double its annual capacity to 32 million passengers, with a new terminal and an extension to the current airfield platform.
According to Luton Borough Council, the expansion could create up to 11,000 jobs nationally, with 6,000 of those in the counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
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Vauxhall plant closure
The announcement came less than a week after Vauxhall's van-making factory in Luton was closed by parent company Stellantis, putting up to 1,100 jobs at risk 120 years after the company first came to Luton.
The last van rolled off the production line in March, with pictures from inside the plant showing emotional workers gathered round as the final vehicle was finished.
Outside, people spoke of their sadness at the end of an era and the loss of a community which they described as "like a family".
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Transport upgrades
In January, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced transport in the region would also see significant investment, with the East West Rail project planned to deliver new and upgraded lines between Oxford and Cambridge - including improvements to the existing line between Bedford and Bletchley.
She also announced a new railway station at Tempsford, east of Bedford, to connect the East Coast Main Line and East West Rail, as well as an upgrade to the A428 to cut journey times between Milton Keynes and Cambridge.
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Businesses in the area are already keen to make the most of the opportunities presented by the investment boom.
"The impact has to be right, the infrastructure has to be right to accommodate projects of this size," said Justin Richardson, from the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce.
"But it's a once in a generation project that will bring a huge amount of benefits to Bedfordshire.'
Daniel Coyle, chief executive of Ryebridge Construction, agreed that both the airport expansion and Universal theme park meant it was a good time to be a construction company in Bedfordshire.
"It gives us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand as a business, but also to take on apprentices," he said.
For Pete Pestell, head chef and landlord of a pub in Felmersham, it was an "exciting" chance to welcome new visitors drawn in by the Universal theme park.
"The villagers will continue to support us and we'll continue to be their pub," he told ITV News Anglia.
"But pubs are closing, and hospitality is in a mess around the UK, so this could help us to give something special and a bit of a golden ticket compared to some of the other counties."
And it's not just pubs and restaurants but the land around the site which could be about to see the benefits.
Laura Ibbet, who owns the Sun Inn & Wild Berry Farm which produces food for the pub, wants to create a glamping site for theme park tourists.
"I think we've got a really unique area here in the Ouse Valley, on the farm particularly," she explained.
"Beautiful lakes, grassland, wildflower meadows, and people coming over for Universal are looking for more than just a one-night stay.
"They're looking for an experience and I think we can offer that here."

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