Merlin Entertainments chief executive Fiona Eastwood has called for any “special treatment” given to a new Universal theme park to be shared across the industry.
Universal has submitted a planning application to the UK government for a proposed new theme park near Bedford.
The plans are widely expected to be passed by the deadline, which is 31 August this year.
Speaking to the Guardian newspaper, Eastwood said that any “special treatment” for Universal should be considered for existing UK operators.
“Planning permission in the UK is not easy,” she said.
“We need to make sure that if Universal are given any special treatment, that that special treatment is also given to the entire industry.”
Plans suggest the new park could contain a rollercoaster that becomes the tallest in Europe, but this has not yet been confirmed.
Eastwood said that Universal’s first UK theme park would be “a great opportunity for the overall market”.
“With the analogy of ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’, I’m a big fan. The entire theme park market benefits.
“I think the only thing we need to be careful of is that everyone’s treated fairly in terms of planning permission.”