COUNCIL CHIEF IN HOUSE ROW
21 December 2005 - Evening Post
Swansea Council's £120,000-a-year boss is at the centre of a planning row over his luxury Gower home, it emerged today.
The authority's chief executive Tim Thorogood, who is in charge of every aspect of day-to-day council activities, is under the spotlight after questions were raised over a garage he built on his property, the Post can reveal. Formal complaints are believed to have been made against Mr Thorogood who is in charge of more than 10,000 staff.They centre on a new garage and workshop that was built at his home at Broad Park in Rhossili.
It is understood Mr Thorogood left County Hall yesterday morning and did not return. A committee of councillors is understood to be meeting next Thursday to discuss the issue and see what action, if any, needs to be taken.
Only a few weeks ago council staff passed a vote of no confidence in him at a trade union meeting in the continuing row over the multi-million pound Service@Swansea scheme aimed at delivering a more efficient service to the public. There has also been disquiet expressed over changes in pension rights which he has been overseeing. A Swansea Council spokesman said Mr Thorogood was being dealt with in accordance with the council's procedures. He confirmed that these procedures were linked to a planning application at Mr Thorogood's home.
He applied for, and got permission for, a new garage in December 2004.In September Mr Thorogood was asked to make a fresh application because of concerns about the final appearance of the garage which had extra windows.
The city's planning committee approved the scheme but now it is understood allegations have been made that the garage features a kitchen, sleeping accommodation and en suite bathroom facilities.
Both Rhossili Community Council and the Gower Society have raised concerns about the planning application.
Malcolm Ridge, chairman of the Gower Society, said today: "It is a large garage with more windows than you would normally associate with a garage. It seems to have gone through planning very quickly."
Mr Ridge said he had heard claims that the garage was now equipped with various facilities besides being a garage.
He said: "That is what we feared - that it was going to be an annex for visitors or whatever."
r Thorogood was unavailable for comment today. But in a statement approved by him a spokesman for Swansea Council said: "There is an issue regarding a planning application at the home of chief executive Tim Thorogood.
"The chief executive is being dealt with in accordance with the procedures clearly set out for chief executives. It is inappropriate for the council to comment further on this matter."
Swansea Council's £120,000-a-year boss is at the centre of a planning row over his luxury Gower home, it emerged today.
The authority's chief executive Tim Thorogood, who is in charge of every aspect of day-to-day council activities, is under the spotlight after questions were raised over a garage he built on his property, the Post can reveal. Formal complaints are believed to have been made against Mr Thorogood who is in charge of more than 10,000 staff.They centre on a new garage and workshop that was built at his home at Broad Park in Rhossili.
It is understood Mr Thorogood left County Hall yesterday morning and did not return. A committee of councillors is understood to be meeting next Thursday to discuss the issue and see what action, if any, needs to be taken.
Only a few weeks ago council staff passed a vote of no confidence in him at a trade union meeting in the continuing row over the multi-million pound Service@Swansea scheme aimed at delivering a more efficient service to the public. There has also been disquiet expressed over changes in pension rights which he has been overseeing. A Swansea Council spokesman said Mr Thorogood was being dealt with in accordance with the council's procedures. He confirmed that these procedures were linked to a planning application at Mr Thorogood's home.
He applied for, and got permission for, a new garage in December 2004.In September Mr Thorogood was asked to make a fresh application because of concerns about the final appearance of the garage which had extra windows.
The city's planning committee approved the scheme but now it is understood allegations have been made that the garage features a kitchen, sleeping accommodation and en suite bathroom facilities.
Both Rhossili Community Council and the Gower Society have raised concerns about the planning application.
Malcolm Ridge, chairman of the Gower Society, said today: "It is a large garage with more windows than you would normally associate with a garage. It seems to have gone through planning very quickly."
Mr Ridge said he had heard claims that the garage was now equipped with various facilities besides being a garage.
He said: "That is what we feared - that it was going to be an annex for visitors or whatever."
r Thorogood was unavailable for comment today. But in a statement approved by him a spokesman for Swansea Council said: "There is an issue regarding a planning application at the home of chief executive Tim Thorogood.
"The chief executive is being dealt with in accordance with the procedures clearly set out for chief executives. It is inappropriate for the council to comment further on this matter."
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