Comcast's theme parks business Universal is in talks with British officials about tax and other infrastructure incentives to secure a multi-billion-pound resort in Bedford, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Sunday.

Comcast’s decision whether to proceed, expected by the end of the year, would in part depend on talks with government officials over incentives, the newspaper said, citing people close to the project.

Comcast and Universal did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

Comcast could explore other sites in Europe or elsewhere if the talks do not succeed, the FT said, without disclosing details on the amount of incentives being sought.

Universal bought a 476-acre (190-hectare) parcel of land last year, just south of Bedford, a city in eastern England north of London, seeking to build a theme park and resort.

The firm has said it expects the project to provide over 50 billion pounds (US$60 billion, or RM286.28 billion) in economic benefits to Britain, with about 8,000 jobs being created once the park becomes operational.

  - Reuters