A £100,000-a-year post has been created to "inspire and lead the development of Oxfordshire's economic vision".

Whoever is appointed as chief executive of Oxfordshire Economic Partnership will be in charge of just six staff, but chairman Frank Nigriello said the partnership's small workforce did not reflect the role's importance.

He said: "We're expecting to hire someone of significant stature who will be able to work with the partners, to identify the bars to economic growth and then to work on projects to reduce those bars, so that we can have a sustainable economy.

"We need successful businesses to pay corporation tax, to work in communities and to create jobs and continued employment."

Graham Jones, of business campaign group Rox, said: "A lot of people will see it as being just another bureaucratic body - £100,000 does seem an awful lot of money, but I would reserve judgment until I know what role they are going to play alongside so many other organisations."