The former chief executive of Hull City Council who left the North East authority in a cloud after clashing with senior Labour councillors has been chosen to be Bristol’s first City Director.

On LinkedIn, Nicola Yates (right) lists her speciality fields as housing and regeneration. The career civil servant has written several books, including Choice, Empowerment & Personalisation published by Bristol Policy Press, and is an honorary research associate at De Montford University.

Yates was also awarded an OBE in 2010 for services to local government.

On the day when Bristol goes to the polls to elect new councillors, it is telling that the most senior powerful position within Bristol City Council was chosen by the mayor, a panel of party leaders, West of England Local Enterprise Partnership chair Colin Skellett and Emmaus Bristol chief executive Richard Pendlebury.

Yates will receive a salary of £160,000, of which £5,000 will be paid in Bristol Pounds. As mayor, George Ferguson receives £65,738, the same salary as an MP.

Hull has form when sending its leaders to Bristol as it was also the council from where former chief executive Jan Ormondroyd arrived in 2008.