BURNLEY Council has revealed that it hopes to appoint a new chief executive within a fortnight.

Steve Rumbelow left his position as the authority’s head of paid staff last month to join Rochdale Borough Council.

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An extraordinary meeting of the full council has been called for January 26, where council bosses hope to unveil Mr Rumbelow’s successor. Council leader Labour’s Mark Townsend said councillors were delighted with the ‘high standard’ of applicants for the vacancy, which carries an annual salary of £112, 335.

Heather Brennan, the council’s head of people and development, said: “The post was advertised nationally and we were very happy with the response and the high calibre of the candidates.”

Mr Rumbelow, 53, took up his position in Rochdale last month after eight years at Burnley Town Hall, during which he received huge credit for the borough’s regeneration.

The Yorkshireman cited his desire to work for a single-tier authority - rather than share responsibilities with Lancashire County Council, as Burnley does - as one of his reasons for moving to Rochdale.

A spokesman for the council said: “The recruitment process to appoint a new chief executive at Burnley Council is ongoing.

“A long-list of candidates went through a technical assessment conducted by the chief executive of another local authority and a short list was drawn up based on those assessments. The shortlisted candidates will undergo assessment and interview during the week commencing January 19. We are hoping a decision to appoint a new chief executive will be made at an extraordinary meeting of the full council on January 26.”

Council bosses were remaining tight-lipped on how many people had applied. for the role, and how many had made the short-list.

Mr Townsend said: “The process is continuing and we are very pleased with the high standard of candidates who have applied. They came from all sectors and are right on schedule to make an announcement in time for that meeting.”

An agenda for the extraordinary meeting of the full council, which is made up of 45 members, has yet to be published.