BURNLEY is heading for a referendum on whether an elected mayor should run the town.

The public vote is expected to take place next autumn and will pave the way to just what system of local government will be adopted in Burnley as part of the major shake-up of councils which take effect in April 2002.

Front-runners in the options for change from the committee-dominated structure now in place are to have an elected mayor -- be it a councillor, businessman or voluntary worker -- who will appoint his own cabinet, or to have a leader elected by the majority political party, who will run the town with an executive of colleagues.

This week a public debate on the elected mayor issue failed to spark public interest, with only around 30 people attending the event at Towneley High School -- with the majority backing the mayoralty scheme.

Town hall organiser Jerry Smith said because of the small turn-out, and the fact that many who attended were already committed, the result was not significant in assessing public opinion, although it was an extremely well-argued debate.

Independent councillors Harry Brooks and John Lloyd spoke in favour of an elected mayor while Labour's Peter Kenyon and LibDem councillor Margaret Lishman were against.