SUSPENSION IS LIKELY FOR COUNCIL'S TOP BOSS
30 December 2005 - Evening Post
Swansea Council's top boss was today expected to be suspended over a planning row. A decision on chief executive Tim Thorogood's future was due to be taken by three councillors sitting on the authority's general purpose panel.
They are expected to suspend the council's top officer while an investigation is carried out into a planning row over his luxury Gower home.
The row centres on a planning application Mr Thorogood and his wife Alison, who works as a corporate complaints officer for Neath Port Talbot Council and is a Swansea magistrate, made for their home in Rhossili.
They were granted permission to build a garage on the property in January, but were asked when the work was completed to apply for retrospective amended permission after planners raised concerns about the number of windows included.
In October, planning officers decided Mr Thorogood and his wife would have to apply for fresh retrospective approval for the garage as it varied significantly from the original permission.
Approval was given but complaints were made by neighbours claiming that the garage now boasted a kitchen, sleeping facilities and en-suite bathroom.
That led to Mr Thorogood being asked to leave County Hall last week while wheels were put in motion to set up today's meeting where he is expected to be suspended while an independent investigation is carried out.
A hastily convened special cabinet meeting was also pencilled in for this afternoon.
It is expected to give deputy chief executive Bob Carter permission to sign the deal with IT firm Capgemini - the council's preferred partner for delivering the £170 million eGovernment programme aimed at updating council systems, improving efficiency and creating one stop shops for council queries.
A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "A meeting of the general purposes panel of the council will be taking place today to discuss an issue regarding a planning matter at the chief executive Tim Thorogood's home.
"The chief executive is being dealt with in accordance with the procedures that are set out for chief executives. It is inappropriate for the council to comment further on this matter at the present time."
Swansea Council's top boss was today expected to be suspended over a planning row. A decision on chief executive Tim Thorogood's future was due to be taken by three councillors sitting on the authority's general purpose panel.
They are expected to suspend the council's top officer while an investigation is carried out into a planning row over his luxury Gower home.
The row centres on a planning application Mr Thorogood and his wife Alison, who works as a corporate complaints officer for Neath Port Talbot Council and is a Swansea magistrate, made for their home in Rhossili.
They were granted permission to build a garage on the property in January, but were asked when the work was completed to apply for retrospective amended permission after planners raised concerns about the number of windows included.
In October, planning officers decided Mr Thorogood and his wife would have to apply for fresh retrospective approval for the garage as it varied significantly from the original permission.
Approval was given but complaints were made by neighbours claiming that the garage now boasted a kitchen, sleeping facilities and en-suite bathroom.
That led to Mr Thorogood being asked to leave County Hall last week while wheels were put in motion to set up today's meeting where he is expected to be suspended while an independent investigation is carried out.
A hastily convened special cabinet meeting was also pencilled in for this afternoon.
It is expected to give deputy chief executive Bob Carter permission to sign the deal with IT firm Capgemini - the council's preferred partner for delivering the £170 million eGovernment programme aimed at updating council systems, improving efficiency and creating one stop shops for council queries.
A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "A meeting of the general purposes panel of the council will be taking place today to discuss an issue regarding a planning matter at the chief executive Tim Thorogood's home.
"The chief executive is being dealt with in accordance with the procedures that are set out for chief executives. It is inappropriate for the council to comment further on this matter at the present time."
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