A LOCAL government housing expert has been hired for a new role at Oxford City Council which was advertised as having a salary of £90,000.

Caroline Green, who formerly worked in a senior position at the Local Government Association (LGA) for 10 years, will start at the local authority on September 1.

She was hired after the job was advertised earlier this year and a panel of councillors carried out interviews for the role two weeks ago.

At the LGA Ms Green specialised in housing and planning issues and the city council said her new responsibilities would include housing, planning, infrastructure, economic growth and strategies to reduce inequality, as well as efforts to win devolution.

She will report directly to chief executive Peter Sloman.

Mr Sloman said: “We are delighted Caroline is joining us and I am confident that she will help us build on our recent national profile as the country’s best achieving council in 2014.”

City council leader Bob Price added: “Caroline will be a tremendous asset to the city.

“She has a wealth of valuable experience in local government and in Whitehall and is an authority on housing and spatial planning issues.”

The city council said Ms Green’s time at the LGA had seen her take part in work “at the highest level within government both at a national and local level”.

She was also involved in Sir Michael Lyons’ housing review, carried out for the Labour Party during 2014.

Ms Green, who lives in Reading, said: “I am thrilled to be joining the team at Oxford and look forward to playing a part in securing the future success of the city and its residents.”

The role was advertised as paying a salary of £90,000 but Oxford City Council has yet to confirm how much Ms Green will recieve.