HOLD-UP IN COUNCIL BOSS CASE
31 December 2005 - Evening Post
Swansea Council's top boss will have to wait until the new year to find out if he is to be suspended. Tim Thorogood, the council's chief executive, was expected to hear yesterday if he would be suspended from his £120,000-a-year job over a planning row at his luxury Rhossili home.
Mr Thorogood and his wife Alison, who works as a corporate complaints officer for Neath Port Talbot Council and is a Swansea magistrate, were granted permission for a new garage in January.
However, a number of formal complaints about the size and alleged use of the building mean the council is set to investigate if any rules have been broken.
Mr Thorogood had been expected to be formally suspended by the council's General Purposes Panel, but his legal team wanted more time to prepare, and was allowed a 10-day adjournment.
A council spokesman said: "The chief executive is being dealt with in accordance with the procedures that are set out for chief executives. No decisions were taken at the meeting and the panel is due to reconvene on January 9.
"The chief executive was not present at the meeting, with the agreement of his representative.
"It is inappropriate for the council to comment further on this matter at the present time."
There are special rules in place for chief executives at all councils to prevent them falling foul of malicious accusations.
Labour Group leader David Phillips said that the council was right to follow procedure.
He said: "If they have to go down this route, then the proper procedure needs to be followed.
"As I understand it his representatives wanted more time to prepare."
Mr Thorogood had been due to sign-off a £170 million deal that will see Swansea Council's IT systems being run by private company Capgemini yesterday.
At a hastily arranged cabinet meeting Mr Thorogood's deputy, Bob Carter, was handed emergency powers to conclude the deal instead.
It means that 66 council IT staff will transfer to Capgemini in the New Year.
Council leader Chris Holley said: "The decision to defer to January 9 was to give the chief executive's legal team time to consider all aspects of the situation.
"It is only right and proper that he is given this opportunity."
Swansea Council's top boss will have to wait until the new year to find out if he is to be suspended. Tim Thorogood, the council's chief executive, was expected to hear yesterday if he would be suspended from his £120,000-a-year job over a planning row at his luxury Rhossili home.
Mr Thorogood and his wife Alison, who works as a corporate complaints officer for Neath Port Talbot Council and is a Swansea magistrate, were granted permission for a new garage in January.
However, a number of formal complaints about the size and alleged use of the building mean the council is set to investigate if any rules have been broken.
Mr Thorogood had been expected to be formally suspended by the council's General Purposes Panel, but his legal team wanted more time to prepare, and was allowed a 10-day adjournment.
A council spokesman said: "The chief executive is being dealt with in accordance with the procedures that are set out for chief executives. No decisions were taken at the meeting and the panel is due to reconvene on January 9.
"The chief executive was not present at the meeting, with the agreement of his representative.
"It is inappropriate for the council to comment further on this matter at the present time."
There are special rules in place for chief executives at all councils to prevent them falling foul of malicious accusations.
Labour Group leader David Phillips said that the council was right to follow procedure.
He said: "If they have to go down this route, then the proper procedure needs to be followed.
"As I understand it his representatives wanted more time to prepare."
Mr Thorogood had been due to sign-off a £170 million deal that will see Swansea Council's IT systems being run by private company Capgemini yesterday.
At a hastily arranged cabinet meeting Mr Thorogood's deputy, Bob Carter, was handed emergency powers to conclude the deal instead.
It means that 66 council IT staff will transfer to Capgemini in the New Year.
Council leader Chris Holley said: "The decision to defer to January 9 was to give the chief executive's legal team time to consider all aspects of the situation.
"It is only right and proper that he is given this opportunity."
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