Mark Lloyd, the £190,000 a year chief executive of Cambridgeshire County Council, is to take an eight per cent pay cut – around £15,000 a year- to head up the Local Government Association.

He will replace Carolyn Downs, who has been the LGA chief executive since November 2011.

She is to become the £191,000 a year chief executive of Brent Council.

Mr Lloyd said: “The LGA is the national voice of local government, working with councils to support, promote and improve local government.

“My contribution at a national level will be grounded in my experiences in Cambridgeshire – and the county will continue to be my family home.

“The last seven years in Cambridgeshire have undoubtedly been the most rewarding of my career. I am tremendously proud to have been the council’s chief executive during a time of such fundamental change.”

He added: “I know how tough things look over the next five years. I want to ensure that the LGA is fighting for local communities when it comes to financial agreements with central government, devolution deals and driving economic growth, job creation and tackling housing shortages.”

Council leader Steve Count said: “Mark is an outstanding chief executive. We’re tremendously sad about his impending departure from Cambridgeshire but take some solace from the fact he’ll be working on behalf of all of councils in his new role. The LGA couldn’t have made a better appointment.

“I will be working with the council’s other political leaders in the days ahead to shape a plan to plug the big gap Mark will leave when he takes on his new national role in the autumn.”