A WOMAN will hold the purse strings in Burnley as the council's top team of officers takes final shape.

Norfolk-based Pamela Williams has been appointed Burnley's £40,000-a-year chief financial officer, taking over from retired borough treasurer, Norman Smith.

She is the first woman to become Burnley's top finance officer and will join the council from her present post as head of financial services at Breckland council on March 26.

In another major appointment, Ian Saville has been appointed Burnley's director of community services.

Currently head of housing at Mansfield Council he has worked in local government since 1976.

The new wide-ranging remit in Burnley will cover housing management and strategy, parks services, recreation, arts and entertainments and the benefits section.

The two appointments mean the new-look town hall management team is now in final place, with two women in the five-strong team of executives.

The line up is: Chief executive, Roger Ellis; Director of development and environmental services, David Brown; Director of community services, Ian Saville; Director of support services, Susan Walsh and chief financial officer, Pamela Williams.

The shake-up is part of a major re-structuring in Burnley.

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