Universal Great Britain - News & Info

[xtpower]

Evidently not as much with our new climate system.

I think we are in 2025 heatwave number 3 right now in mid south Englandshire. Yay.

Wait the heatwaves ended? It's just been relentless since mid June.

 

[rob@rar]

It's been too hot today for me, but at least it doesn't have the insane humidity of Central Florida. I find that's the real killer. August in Orlando can feel like a minor ordeal, coping with the heat, the humidity and constantly wondering if a storm cell is going to dump on your early evening's fun. Bedford is going to be much nicer by comparison, IMO.

 

[yepthatguy]

Wait the heatwaves ended? It's just been relentless since mid June.

32° today! It’s so stuffy it’s unreal.

I know it’s only 11:20am in Orlando but my weather app is showing 31° there.

 

[xtpower]

32° today! It’s so stuffy it’s unreal.

I know it’s only 11:20am in Orlando but my weather app is showing 31° there.

I miss the clouds and rain .

 

[yepthatguy]

Looks like the drone footage might be over soon.

https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/people/universal-studios-bedford-plan-in-the-works-to-apply-for-restricted-airspace-to-stop-drones-over-bedford-resort-5212255

Shame really. I can understand when the park opens, but during construction flying around the outside must be okay right?

 

[xtpower]

Looks like the drone footage might be over soon.

https://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/people/universal-studios-bedford-plan-in-the-works-to-apply-for-restricted-airspace-to-stop-drones-over-bedford-resort-5212255

Shame really. I can understand when the park opens, but during construction flying around the outside must be okay right?

@ProjectUniversal has a drone with a good enough camera that he can view the whole site without going over it. So I'm not sure stopping drones will happen, it'll just cause people to skirt around the site.

 

[yepthatguy]

@ProjectUniversal has a drone with a good enough camera that he can view the whole site without going over it. So I'm not sure stopping drones will happen, it'll just cause people to skirt around the site.

That’s what I’m hoping for.

 

[rob@rar]

Anyone know their way around the HM Land Registry website? I've received a property alert from the Land Registry saying there has been an application lodged by Rebecca Faret Solicitors (who are a local firm of solicitors) regarding Land On The North East Side Of 2 Eastwood Cottages, Manor Road. I'm not exactly sure which parcel of land this is, and whether it was bought by Universal as part of their landholding in the area, but a basic search of the Land Registry suggests that this land was bought in 2017 for £12.5 million, so it's way bigger than a small plot for a domestic house.

Anyone able to shed any light on what this plot of land is, and why a local firm of solicitors have lodged some sort of application on it with the Land Registry?

 

[xtpower]

Wandering Northerner might be best to figure that out, he seems to be very on the ball in regards to the Manor Road properties.

@masekwm Any chance you can help shed light on Rob's query?

 

[EllieB]

Anyone know their way around the HM Land Registry website? I've received a property alert from the Land Registry saying there has been an application lodged by Rebecca Faret Solicitors (who are a local firm of solicitors) regarding Land On The North East Side Of 2 Eastwood Cottages, Manor Road. I'm not exactly sure which parcel of land this is, and whether it was bought by Universal as part of their landholding in the area, but a basic search of the Land Registry suggests that this land was bought in 2017 for £12.5 million, so it's way bigger than a small plot for a domestic house.

Anyone able to shed any light on what this plot of land is, and why a local firm of solicitors have lodged some sort of application on it with the Land Registry?

I believe you have to buy the Title Plan to see the land covered by the entry, and the Title Register to see the land ownership. Each document is £7 each and can be viewed online when you buy them. You can do that here, I think this is for the correct property: https://search-property-information...uments-available-for/Ua7IOokCvrsfrPif3Wd6NA==

You'll need to be logged into the Land Registry to see the link I think, but it's free to create an account.

Summary of the freehold is here I believe but there's not much information on it: https://search-property-information...ZlQuQMgH1xFNz4FjIg==/TpvdXHUe7U-DqZHItd83YA==

 

[rob@rar]

I believe you have to buy the Title Plan to see the land covered by the entry, and the Title Register to see the land ownership. Each document is £7 each and can be viewed online when you buy them. You can do that here, I think this is for the correct property: https://search-property-information...uments-available-for/Ua7IOokCvrsfrPif3Wd6NA==

You'll need to be logged into the Land Registry to see the link I think, but it's free to create an account.

Summary of the freehold is here I believe but there's not much information on it: https://search-property-information...ZlQuQMgH1xFNz4FjIg==/TpvdXHUe7U-DqZHItd83YA==

I’m curious, but not to the extent of paying for the info As we saw in Universal’s planning application (in the redacted document), there all sorts of parcels of land in and around the site, and I was trying to work out what this one was. The previous sale value stuck out when I scanned the basic info.

 

[EllieB]

Eastwood Cottages are in the middle of this block of houses, according to Google Maps.

So the parcel to the north east would be something between there and the lake, probably. I'm not sure how much land £12.5 million buys you, but I feel like it should be a decent amount. The general wisdom of the internet reckons farmland is £6k - £10k per acre, so probably at least 1000 acres, maybe 1500 or more. There doesn't seem to be that much land in that space though.

The entry I'm looking at doesn't list a sale price, where have you found that?

 

[masekwm]

I got the same alert and couldn't figure it out. In fact I still can't!

Looking at the customer ref, they're residents of Manor Road - shown by an objection to the Network Rail bridge at KH. Here is were it gets weird, Rebecca Faret does not work for Universal, they're a small firm in Flitwick so are likely acting for the seller of one of the properties.

I'm not sure if the price Rob quoted is correct as my search shows this is the below regarding the title in question, I wonder if it is to do with the sale of No1 as looks like a rear path - I can't figure out what the seller conveyancer would list at HMLR though. However, this little research links to the comment about unregistered land in the plans and also to Jamie Finns post earlier today

 

[rob@rar]

I got the same alert and couldn't figure it out. In fact I still can't!

Looking at the customer ref, they're residents of Manor Road - shown by an objection to the Network Rail bridge at KH. Here is were it gets weird, Rebecca Faret does not work for Universal, they're a small firm in Flitwick so are likely acting for the seller of one of the properties.

I'm not sure if the price Rob quoted is correct as my search shows this is the below regarding the title in question, I wonder if it is to do with the sale of No1 as looks like a rear path - I can't figure out what the seller conveyancer would list at HMLR though. However, this little research links to the comment about unregistered land in the plans and also to Jamie Finns post earlier today

I still can't guess what's going on. All the previous property alerts I've received have been obviously the first steps in Universal buying Manor Rd properties, with the solicitor clearly linked to Universal. But as you say, this solicitor is local with no links to Universal. I think you're right that it's related to a small plot of land, perhaps unclaimed. The £M price I spotted on further examination is actually a different plot, perhaps adjacent to the the one in question, so apologies for the confusion. Hopefully this is all part of the process of tidying up ownership of various plots of land along Manor Rd.

 

[masekwm]

The 1 above is actually on annex, 2 should be 1! So the rear access for 1 is via that small square. At a guess, they’ve tried to register a notice for the easement to pass over that land? Doesn’t make sense at this point but perhaps they’re including that parcel in the conveyance of 1 as rear access.

 

[EllieB]

Maybe the current owner is trying to sort out what they actually have the rights to sell on to Universal before a sale can be agreed.

 

[yepthatguy]

Many years ago, I knew someone who lived in one of those houses. He was renting from the council, so it was basically a council house.

Maybe Jan 24’ I was told that the council owned cottages were in bad condition so they were happily selling them.

But I’ve never been able to find any evidence of the council owning any houses on Manor Road lol.

I’m fairly sure councils “adopt” roads so is that section highlighted not adopted, I also don’t know whether adopting roads includes the verges as well as the road, I know the council cuts the grass verges though lol.

 

[masekwm]

You can see the rear entrance here, this plot has clearly been used by no 1 for a number of years