Nicola Bulbeck, the 47-year-old barrister given the £93,000 a year top job at Teignbridge Council, has said she intends work shifts with the district's refuse collectors to learn about life at the sharp end.

Mrs Bulbeck was speaking three weeks after she took up post as chief executive, a move she made after five years performing the same role – her first in local government – at the much-smaller Boston District Council, Lincolnshire.

'I had achieved what we wanted to achieve as a management team and had reached the point where the next tranche of work was about to start, which meant either staying for another three or four years or moving on,' she said.

Asked if she would move on from Teignbridge within five years she said: 'I think probably not, this area, the south west, has got a huge amount of potential and Teignbridge is a really attractive chunk of it, not only scenically, but because it has got urban and rural and that's the mix that appeals to me.'

Something else that appeals to Mrs Bulbeck are the council's plans for job creation and economic regeneration. but as an owner of two dogs, three horses and a mountain bike she is keen that a balance is maintained.

'There is so much economic potential that is around sites which won't impact on the countryside,' she said. 'I love the countryside and want to do my bit to protect it.'

She also believes that 'bogs, dogs and yobs matter hugely to the public' and is interested in improving services while capping council tax bills.

'The quality and value for money in Teignbridge are good but could be better,' she said and advocated scrapping 'low priority' services such as pest control and bringing in private companies and other agencies to take on some council services.

Talking about her plans to work with refuse collectors and other front line staff such as community safety wardens who patrol the streets during weekend drinking-up times, she said: 'I want to see what it's like and perhaps see what staff can do to improve things even further.

'I want them to see I can get my hands dirty. 'I don't only want to see the nicey-nicey.'