ALL but two of Burnley Council's wards are set to change their boundaries in the largest local government shake up since 1974.

Three councillors will lose their seats and one ward will disappear from the political map if the recommendations from the Local Government Commission for England are ratified by Environment Secretary John Prescott.

The review has been carried out to ensure wards have a similar number of electorate because currently in Whittlefield with Ightenhill Ward councillors represent an electorate of 5,714 -- 33 per cent more electors than the borough average where as in Barclay there are only 3,252 people on the electoral role -- -24 per cent from the average figure.

The most controversial proposal is for part of Colne Road to be included in the new Daneshouse with Stoneyhome Ward and chairman of the local residents' association Rhona Fairburn said she was already planning to write her objections to Mr Prescott.

Of the existing wards it is proposed to scrap Fulledge and Barclay and introduce new wards of Gannow, Rosegrove with Lowerhouse and Rosehill with Burnley Wood.

The current Fulledge electorate will be split between Brunshaw, Bank Hall, Rosehill with Burnley Wood and Trinity. Barclay will be split between Trinity and Rosegrove with Lowerhouse. The only unchanged wards would be Lanehead and Briercliffe. The largest wards to have changes proposed are Whittlefield with Ightenhill Ward, part of which will be moved into the new Gannow Ward and Hapton with Park part of which will go into Gawthorpe and part into Rosegrove with Lowerhouse.

If Mr Prescott approves the recommendations they will take effect from May 2002 -- the next borough council elections. All ward councillors would be elected.

In addition to ward changes for the borough, recommendations are also being made for new wards and the redistribution of councillors for Hapton Parish and an increase in parish councillors in Ightenhilll from five to seven.

Anyone wishing to make further representations should send the letters to the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Local Government Sponsorship Division, Eland House, Brassenden Place, London SW1E 5DU.