LONDON, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. media giant Comcast

Corp ( CMCSA ) will build its first Universal theme park and

resort in Europe in Bedford, north of London, opening in 2031,

the British government said on Wednesday.

The park will create 20,000 jobs during construction and a

further 8,000 jobs across the hospitality and creative

industries when it opens, it said.

It is expected to attract 8.5 million visitors in its first

year, a number currently only exceeded in Europe by Disneyland

Paris.

Universal Studios has five resorts and parks in the U.S.

states of California and Florida as well as in Singapore, Japan

and China, offering rides and attractions based on Jurassic

Park, Harry Potter and other movie franchises.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has sought to ease planning

demands to boost investment in Britain, said in a statement the

multi-billion pound investment would make Bedford home to one of

the biggest entertainment parks in Europe.

Plans for the site include a theme park, featuring several

themed lands, a 500-room hotel and a retail, dining and

entertainment complex.

Comcast ( CMCSA ) President Mike Cavanagh showed Starmer the plan in

London on Tuesday, saying he "could not be more excited" to

create a Universal theme park and resort in the heart of the

United Kingdom.

Comcast ( CMCSA ) bought a 500-acre former brickworks in Bedfordshire,

about 55 miles north of London, in 2023. It already owns Sky,

which is Europe's biggest pay-TV business.

It had been in talks with the British government since last

year about turning the site into a theme park.

The Labour government, which has pledged to drive investment in

infrastructure since it was elected last year, has approved the

expansion of Luton Airport, which is about 20 miles from the

Universal site, boosting the area's international connectivity.

The theme park and resort are subject to planning

permission, the government said.

(Additional reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Paul Simao)