How Universal Studios almost came to Essex
BBCA buzz was in the air this week after it was confirmed Europe's first Universal theme park would be built in the UK. But did you know the project is not the US entertainment giant's first rodeo in this part of the world?
What was the plan?
On Wednesday, the government and Universal revealed they had reached a deal to build the complex on the site of a former brickworks in Bedfordshire, spanning 476 acres - equivalent to almost 270 Premier League football pitches.
Universal has had its eyes on Europe for more than 35 years, having started negotiations with the British and French governments to build a "Universal City" in the late 1980s.
Music Corporation of America (MCA) was Universal's predecessor.
It eyed up Rainham Marshes, a site straddling the border of Essex and London, and the local council was quick to provide planning permission.
Spanning an area more than three times bigger than the site near Bedford, MCA wanted to build a theme park, cinema, hotels, conference centre, business park, and railway station at the site.
The plans also included a nature reserve and ecology park, as well as working film and TV studios, which were rumoured to become the new home of the BBC soap opera EastEnders.
It would have cost $3.4bn (£25.9bn), according to the Los Angeles Times.
Was it supported?
Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government was keen to secure the investment from MCA, which was deciding between Rainham and Sénart, a new town near Paris, France.
Ministers were so keen to snatch the opportunity from their French counterparts that they considered changing blueprints for the Channel Tunnel, which opened in 1994, to include a junction at Stratford in east London - to provide easier access to the proposed theme park.
The government also considered rerouting and adding an extra lane to the A13 trunk road, which passes Rainham Marshes.
About 69% of residents surveyed backed the proposals by MCA, but environmental campaigners were less keen on the idea.
The Essex Naturalists Trust was concerned about the impact on species living in the marshland.
Rainham vs Paris
The site on the Essex-London border fell victim to delays while opponents pushed the government to launch a public consultation on the plans.
By 1993, MCA had set its sights firmly on France with plans to build a theme park based on its attractions in the US.
It chose a plot close to Disneyland Paris, which had opened a year earlier.
MCA president Frank Stanek said the Rainham project "became unfeasible".
He insisted that Disney's entry to Europe had not influenced MCA's decision.
"The British government wasn't able to do enough fiscally to make the project interesting," he told Variety at the time.
"The French are very well organised in that field and are very good at supporting projects which involve new towns."
Eventually, MCA pulled the plug on France and decided to invest in an already established theme park, giving the Universal name to Spain's PortAventura.
It sold its stake in the Spanish attraction in 2004.
PA MediaToday, Rainham Marshes is a nature reserve managed by the RSPB.
About 80 miles (128km) away, Universal is once again hoping to make its mark on the UK.
It would be its first European attraction that it has designed and built from scratch.
A full planning proposal will be submitted to the UK government, with construction expected to start in 2026.
Universal estimated the complex could attract 8.5 million visitors in its first year.
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