EX-COUNCIL CHIEF STILL FACES GARAGE PROBE
4 February 2006 - South Wales Evening Post
Former city boss Tim Thorogood could still face action for breaking planning rules despite leaving Swansea Council. The council's £120,000-a-year chief executive left his post this week with a golden goodbye package understood to be worth around £60,000.
He had been the subject of an internal investigation but that has now been dropped as he is no longer a council employee.
However, planning officers will continue to look at a garage at his Rhossili home and could order him to pull it down if planning rules have been broken.
He was officially suspended from his post ahead of an internal inquiry last month.
However, in a shock move it was announced on Thursday that he would be quitting the council with immediate effect.
A council spokesman confirmed that the planning matter was not dead and would be dealt with.
He said: "In cases where there is an allegation of a breach of a planning application, the policy of the council is to contact applicants to discuss the issues raised and consider with them the way forward.
"This is the process that is being followed in this case."
The decision to allow Mr Thorogood to leave before the completion of the internal investigation has been heavily criticised.
Plaid Cymru AM Dai Lloyd said: "I find it very difficult to believe that a council employee lower down the scale would be treated with such generosity when faced with disciplinary investigation.
"Had the disciplinary investigation continued as planned then I am sure that Tim Thorogood would have been sacked from his post with no mention of a package."
Leader of Swansea's Plaid Cymru councillors, Darren Price, said that it was important to keep the investigation alive.
He said: "I feel it is vitally important that the investigation surrounding the issues with Mr Thorogood's planning application continues.
"The truth surrounding this whole affair must come to light.
"The fact that the chief executive has left the authority should not mean that the issue dies down."
When the announcement came, Labour group leader David Phillips described it as "entirely inappropriate".
The row erupted following a decision to grant planning consent for the garage at Mr Thorogood's home in December 2004.
He was then instructed to submit a further application as the final design was significantly different from the plans.
There were further allegations of more building work on the garage that triggered an official complaint.
In the wake of Mr Thorogood's departure, council leader Chris Holley defended the deal.
He also denied that Mr Thorogood had received a £60,000 pay-off.
"I can tell you it's less," he said.
"We've actually had a legal agreement and the agreement was then put past our external auditors and both of them are satisfied.
"So I'm quite confident the package is most prudent and also legal and it's good value for the people of Swansea.
"I think the taxpayers will be delighted that we've come to an agreement that does not drag on for months and months and months and adds countless tens of thousands of pounds to a bill."
Former city boss Tim Thorogood could still face action for breaking planning rules despite leaving Swansea Council. The council's £120,000-a-year chief executive left his post this week with a golden goodbye package understood to be worth around £60,000.
He had been the subject of an internal investigation but that has now been dropped as he is no longer a council employee.
However, planning officers will continue to look at a garage at his Rhossili home and could order him to pull it down if planning rules have been broken.
He was officially suspended from his post ahead of an internal inquiry last month.
However, in a shock move it was announced on Thursday that he would be quitting the council with immediate effect.
A council spokesman confirmed that the planning matter was not dead and would be dealt with.
He said: "In cases where there is an allegation of a breach of a planning application, the policy of the council is to contact applicants to discuss the issues raised and consider with them the way forward.
"This is the process that is being followed in this case."
The decision to allow Mr Thorogood to leave before the completion of the internal investigation has been heavily criticised.
Plaid Cymru AM Dai Lloyd said: "I find it very difficult to believe that a council employee lower down the scale would be treated with such generosity when faced with disciplinary investigation.
"Had the disciplinary investigation continued as planned then I am sure that Tim Thorogood would have been sacked from his post with no mention of a package."
Leader of Swansea's Plaid Cymru councillors, Darren Price, said that it was important to keep the investigation alive.
He said: "I feel it is vitally important that the investigation surrounding the issues with Mr Thorogood's planning application continues.
"The truth surrounding this whole affair must come to light.
"The fact that the chief executive has left the authority should not mean that the issue dies down."
When the announcement came, Labour group leader David Phillips described it as "entirely inappropriate".
The row erupted following a decision to grant planning consent for the garage at Mr Thorogood's home in December 2004.
He was then instructed to submit a further application as the final design was significantly different from the plans.
There were further allegations of more building work on the garage that triggered an official complaint.
In the wake of Mr Thorogood's departure, council leader Chris Holley defended the deal.
He also denied that Mr Thorogood had received a £60,000 pay-off.
"I can tell you it's less," he said.
"We've actually had a legal agreement and the agreement was then put past our external auditors and both of them are satisfied.
"So I'm quite confident the package is most prudent and also legal and it's good value for the people of Swansea.
"I think the taxpayers will be delighted that we've come to an agreement that does not drag on for months and months and months and adds countless tens of thousands of pounds to a bill."
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