RESIDENTS living in Hartlepool are to be given a further chance to influence how their local council is run.

Under new legislation, residents must be consulted on a choice of three options as part of a Government push to make decision-making simpler and faster.

The options are: a leader with a cabinet of councillors, an elected mayor with a cabinet of councillors, and an elected mayor with a council manager.

Hartlepool Borough Council has agreed to hold a referendum to find out whether local people want an elected mayor, after earlier consultation showed that two-thirds of respondents in a survey supported one or other of the elected mayor options.

A referendum can only be held on one of the mayoral options, so the council now needs to find out which one people want to vote on.

To help them decide, a leaflet will drop through letterboxes, along with an option form, by next Saturday. Residents have until the end of next month to return the forms.