Original Summary

Ant Saddington/BBC / Seeing his neighbours' homes being demolished has almost brought Ritchie Wood to tears Surrounded by rolling fields and lakes, Ritchie Wood's home of 11 years provided the serene village life he loved. Yet in recent weeks, his neighbours have packed their bags and left - their houses in Kempston Hardwick, Bedfordshire, soon to be reduced to rubble. "It's totally changed to how it used to be - it used to be lovely. We had a nice little community here, lots of wildlife, very quiet," Wood tells the BBC. Now, as the 55-year-old looks around him in Manor Road, all he sees are empty properties. Wood knows his will be next. His rented home lies in the middle of what will be Universal's new £5bn theme park, touted to be the UK's biggest tourist attraction when it opens in 2031. Ant Saddington/BBC / Universal hopes to demolish these 12 homes, which lie at the heart of its planned theme park After a long-running standoff between the developer and the residents, some of whom initially refused to leave their homes, demolition work has now started. "I genuinely have nowhere to go", says Wood, who expects to be homeless within two months when his landlord evicts him. "Unfortunately, I wouldn't be able to afford anywhere in the area for the same sort of rent [I pay now]." Contractors want to raze a terrace of 12 properties in Manor Road, as well as several others, and have closed the road until 28 November to work on it. Ant Saddington/BBC / Large diggers have been used in Manor Road for several days The quiet hum of village life has been replaced by the sound of lorries and generators working on the 476-acre (193ha) theme park, Wood says. "It's very strange and very surreal. When I drive up and down this road, I almost feel I shouldn't be here now." Ant Saddington/BBC Seeing his neighbours' houses being demolished is a sight that almost brings him to tears. "I came past and saw them being demolished yesterday and it's heartbreaking," Wood adds. "It almost brings tears to my eyes because it's all just going to go." UNIVERSAL DESTINATIONS AND EXPERIENCES/COMCAST / Universal UK Resort is expected to become the country's biggest tourist attraction There are clear benefits to the Universal resort, which is expected to draw 8.5 million visitors a year and contribute £50bn to the UK economy by 2055. A 500-room hotel is planned at the site and shuttle buses from Milton Keynes Central will serve it every seven minutes on average, according to Labour MP Emily Darlington. Then there are the adrenaline junkies excited by the prospect of a resort that will rival Disneyland Paris. "Everyone else is doing great out of this," Wood sighs. "I'm in a very unique situation. Out of 70 million people in the country, I'm the only person facing homelessness out of this." Ant Saddington/BBC / Some residents told the BBC they felt forced to leave their homes Residents in Manor Road were not subject to compulsory purchase orders, but, nonetheless, have told the BBC they felt forced to move. Universal bypassed local planning procedures and instead got permission from the government to build the resort in December. Wood says the global brand has not done enough to support him while trying to find a new house. Wood adds: "This has been my home for 11 years and the uncertainty of not knowing where I'm going to be in a few months time is really, really worrying. Genuinely very worrying and scary." Universal has been contacted to respond to his concerns. In a letter to residents on 18 September, the theme park developer said it remained "committed to being a good neighbour" during the project. It has previously stressed that 80% of the attraction's workforce will come from Bedfordshire and neighbouring counties, stating "local focus is important". Do you have a story suggestion for Beds, Herts or Bucks? Contact us below. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds , Facebook , Instagram and X .

中文概览

中文标题： “令人心碎”：被英国50亿英镑主题公园逼走的男子

BBC报道，环球计划在贝德福德郡建英国最大主题公园，Kempston Hardwick的Manor Road居民陆续搬离，拆迁已开始。55岁的Ritchie Wood租房位于园区中心，预计两个月内被房东驱逐，且无力在当地承担同等租金。他称社区与野生动物消失，自己恐无家可归；项目预计2031年开业，每年吸引850万游客。

  • 情报分类：综合情报
  • 分类依据：报道主题公园拆迁与居民安置，属社会综合新闻，非技术或商业研究。
  • 信息来源：英语新闻 / BBC News Top Stories
  • 发布时间：2026/9/25 13:18:13