THE chief executive of the GFirst local enterprise partnership has been appointed as Gloucestershire County Council’s director of economy and environment.

David Owen will be seconded to the council for four days a week and continue his chief executive role on the other day.

The secondment started on Tuesday (November 1) and will be on a three-month rolling contract.

It comes as the county council is preparing a bid for a ‘County Deal’, which would see it gain additional economic powers and also see the LEP included within the council.

The move will strengthen the bid and ease the transition towards working more closely with the LEP if the ‘County Deal’ application proves to be successful.

County Deals were launched by the government last year, with the aim of helping to level up the UK by giving regions the same powers metro mayors have enjoyed in larger cities.

The proposal for David to join the county council was approved by the GFirst LEP board and he will take over responsibility for waste and environment, libraries and registration and employment and skills.