Ritchie Wood, 55, is the only remaining resident on Manor Road in Kempston Hardwick, where 12 homes are due to be demolished for a new Universal theme park near Bedford. He is waiting for bailiffs to enforce a possession order after struggling to find another home, and says the prospect of leaving is especially difficult because he cares for elderly parents nearby.

Six homes have been vacated and five others are understood to have been sold to Universal under non-disclosure agreements; demolition is reportedly planned for Christmas. Wood, who has rented his cottage for 11 years, received a Section 21 eviction notice on 28 April, shortly before the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 came into force, and a court issued a possession order on 19 September. The 480-acre park is planned to open in 2031, with the article reporting a £5 billion cost and rides potentially reaching 377ft (115m).