Scheme largely funded by £6.5m from the UK Government’s Town Deal

A multi-million pound community sports village for Blackpool has taken a major step forward as new details on the project emerge.

A planning application for the Revoe Community Sports Village project, which is primarily funded by £6.5 million from the UK Government’s Town Deal, was last week submitted to Blackpool Council, which is working with Blackpool FC and Blackpool FC Community Trust.

The scheme includes the provision of two 7- a-side synthetic 3G football pitches, two padel courts and a Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) and associated floodlighting.

A 3G (third-generation) football pitch is a modern, high-performance synthetic turf surface designed to replicate natural grass, featuring long fibers (40mm-60mm) infilled with sand and rubber crumb. They offer durable, all-weather play for training and competitive matches.

In addition, the plans also include proposed enclosures and boundary treatments, hard and soft landscaping, car parking and installation of two storage containers and associated works .

A Planning, Design and Access Statement in support of the project stated: “This project will support sport and community provision by creating new facilities adjacent to Blackpool Football Club’s Bloomfield Road stadium.

“The Council is working alongside Blackpool Football Club and the BFC Community Trust to implement and subsequently operate the development.”

It concludes: “The proposals are considered to represent appropriate development which supports the overall aims of the Local Authority in improving access to sports facilities to support the health and wellbeing of the local community.

“For these reasons, it is considered that full planning permission for the proposed development should be granted. “

What does the scheme offer?

The statement says: “All of the pitches would have associated floodlighting and two storage containers to be installed on-site would allow for equipment storage.

“The 3G pitch is designed to be configured as either two 7-a-side or four 5-a-side pitches, to FA standards.

“Each pitch will be bound by 4.5m high weld mesh fencing with floodlighting provided.

“It is proposed that the facilities would be open between 9am and 9pm daily. This reflects the opening hours of other 3G pitch facilities in Blackpool. The pitches would not be in use when first team home games are being played to mitigate any potential impact on traffic.”

School use and possible tournaments

The BFCCT will manage the use of the facilities once operational. This will include facilities for educational provision and other sports programmes.

In respect of the 3G pitches, the Blackpool Football Club Ladies and Girls grassroots teams are expected to utilise the facilities as will the FA Girl’s Emerging Talent Centre, which is the Fylde Coast’s centre of excellence.

Bookable slots will be offered to local schools and junior grassroots football clubs, to utilise the space and hire facilities. The Community Trust will also be exploring options for developing some competitive opportunities, such as matches and tournaments.

What the council says

Cllr Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s Cabinet Member for Built Environment and Economy, said the project was part of the council’s aim to improve the area around Central Drive with quality housing and green space.

He said: “While our housing projects are about providing better homes for people to live in, this (sports) project is about improving the healthy lifestyles of people who live centrally, by creating community sports facilities for everybody to enjoy.

“The project will also help the football club’s community trust to increase its offer to local people, while also facilitating improvements to the East Stand to make the area around the football stadium a nicer place to visit.”

To find all the planning applications, traffic diversions, road layout changes, alcohol licence applications and more in your community, visit the Public Notices Portal.

By Indrani De, CFA, PRM, Head of Global Investment Research FTSE Russell, David McNay, CFA, Director – Global Investment Research FTSE Russell, and Zhaoyi Yang, CFA, FRM, Sr Manager – Global Investment Research FTSE Russell

A recall affecting more than 400,000 power banks has been reissued after federal regulators reported additional incidents, including a fatal fire and a separate onboard airplane fire.

About 429,000 Casely Power Banks 5000mAh portable MagSafe compatible wireless chargers are included in the recall announced last week due to fire and burn hazards, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The recall was first announced in April 2025. At that time, Casely had received 51 consumer reports of the charger overheating, swelling or catching fire while being used to charge phones, causing six minor burn injuries.

MORE THAN 30K WIRELESS POWER BANKS RECALLED AFTER REPORTS OF FIRE, EXPLOSIONS

About 429,000 Casely Power Banks 5000mAh portable MagSafe wireless phone chargers are impacted by the reannounced recall. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission / Unknown)

Since that recall was regulators say 28 additional incidents have been reported, including the death of a 75-year-old woman from New Jersey.

In August 2024, the elderly woman was charging her cell phone with the power bank on her lap when it caught on fire and exploded. She suffered second- and third-degree burns and later died from her burn injuries.

In another incident, a 47-year-old woman in February was charging her cell phone with the power bank on a plane when it caught on fire and exploded, causing first-degree burns to the woman.

The recall was first announced in April 2025. (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission / Unknown)

The power banks affected by the recall have the model number “E33A” printed on the back and “Casely” engraved on the front right side.

The chargers were sold on Casely’s website, Amazon and other online retailers from March 2022 through September 2024 for between $30 and $70.

Consumers are urged to stop using the power banks immediately and contact Casely for a free replacement.

OVER 1.1M POWER BANKS RECALLED AFTER REPORTS OF FIRES, EXPLOSIONS

The chargers were sold at the Casely website, Amazon and other online retailers from March 2022 through September 2024. (REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz / Reuters)

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The power banks should not be thrown away in the garbage since they pose a risk of fire, the commission warned. Consumers are instructed to contact local household hazardous waste collection centers for disposal guidance.

Southeast Asia faces a complex web of interconnected risks, from economic downturns and job scarcity to geopolitical rivalries and the disruptive force of AI. The region’s diverse economies, from wealthy Singapore to poorer Myanmar, experience these challenges unevenly, forcing nations to balance immediate stability with long-term strategic autonomy.

Key Details

• Economic growth is uneven: While Singapore thrives, countries like Myanmar, Laos, and Brunei struggle with debt, inflation, and joblessness; even wealthy Singapore faces cost-of-living pressures.
• Geopolitical tensions are acute: ASEAN nations, heavily reliant on China for trade, are squeezed by U.S. tariffs (e.g., 46% on Vietnamese exports) and legal uncertainty after the 2026 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, forcing ad-hoc bilateral deals.
• AI adoption is accelerating but unequal: Major investments in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam contrast with low SME adoption (15% in Singapore); energy-intensive data centers risk massive emissions spikes (e.g., 7x in Malaysia by 2030).
• Risks reinforce each other: Trade shocks fuel inflation and unemployment; AI gains may widen inequality; supply chain shifts expose cybersecurity gaps; domestic politics limit fiscal flexibility.

While AI adoption promises growth, uneven implementation, energy constraints, and workforce displacement could exacerbate inequalities. Governments and businesses must adopt integrated, adaptive strategies, acknowledging that economic, geopolitical, and technological pressures are converging, demanding a coordinated, forward-looking response to navigate this volatile landscape.

There is growth but it’s not reaching everyone

Economic growth is a case in point. In the survey, the top three perceived risks in the region are economic downturn, lack of jobs or economic opportunity and inflation, reflecting a shared anxiety about how individuals will experience growth. The signs of stress are already visible.

In Thailand, growth forecasts have been revised downward due to trade uncertainty and high household debt. Meanwhile, Brunei is still trying to reduce its reliance on oil and gas, and Lao PDR faces serious debt pressures that limit room to manoeuvre.

Meanwhile, ageing demographics in Malaysia and Viet Nam are outpacing economic development, a challenge requiring different investments in productivity and skills.

AI Surge in the Region Sparks Opportunities Amid Growing Divides

Southeast Asian executives rank the risks from artificial intelligence (AI) adversely at fourth regionally, compared to 10th globally. There is also relatively higher concern about online harms and the risks posed by frontier technologies more broadly.

AI-driven growth initiatives are gaining momentum across the region. For instance, Microsoft has unveiled significant cloud and AI investment programs in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Qualcomm has launched an AI research and development center in Viet Nam. Meanwhile, Singapore’s Green Data Centre Roadmap positions computing capacity as a strategic national infrastructure, akin to how previous generations prioritized highways and ports.

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