Bristol City Council's director Nicola Yates to leave

Nicola Yates is to leave Bristol City Council at the end of July

The director of Bristol City Council is to leave her job at the end of the month.

Nicola Yates has been in charge for the past three years and leaves just two months after the authority came under Labour-led control.

She said it had been an "absolute privilege" to serve Bristol and she was leaving with "a huge sense of pride".

The council said it would make "interim arrangements" while it looks for a permanent replacement.

'Challenging financial position'

Ms Yates said: "During my tenure, the council has faced an immensely challenging financial position but I have been dedicated to maintaining frontline services and developing new ways of generating income and expanding our growth sectors for the future."

She was also in charge of organising the city's year as European Green Capital in 2015.

"I am also enormously proud of the contribution I was able to make to Bristol's successful year as European Green Capital, in my role as chief executive of Bristol 2015 Ltd," Ms Yates said.

Nicola Yates is leaving two months after Marvin Rees was elected as the new mayor and took over from George Ferguson

Nicola Yates is the local authority's highest paid officer and had faced criticism for seeing her pay rise to £172,000 while presiding over cuts in council services.

Marvin Rees, who was elected as the city's mayor in May, said: "I am grateful for Nicola's contributions to Bristol and wish her well for the future.

"She has brought the council a long way in a relatively short time, leaving it with strong governance and a high profile at home and abroad."