Council rebuts claims on garage
6 March 2006 - Western Mail
SWANSEA Council leader Chris Holley has strongly defended the authority over allegations it should have acted sooner over former chief executive Tim Thorogood's controversial garage.
Mr Thorogood quit his £120,000 post as head of Swansea City and County Council's 11,000 staff last month.
It followed complaints about additional work on the garage at the rear of the 46-year-old officer's luxury Gower home.
Mr Thorogood and his magistrate wife Alison only had planning permission to operate the building as a garage or tackroom.
A neighbour complained to the council when windows started springing up on the structure.
This week the BBC's Dragon's Eye programme revealed concerns were raised by councillors and council officers in October last year.
But it was not until December, when the neighbour complained, that action was taken.
The Thorogoods had been granted retrospective planning approval for the garage in October.
But the programme said an officer and a councillor, when driving past the Thorogood home, started to express concern.
Labour opposition group leader on Swansea Council, David Phillips, said that was the time action should have been taken.
But Mr Holley, leader of the ruling Liberal Democrat alliance on the council said yesterday, "As soon as the member of public complained and it was taken, we did go into action. Within an hour of having that information in December Mr Thorogood was asked to leave his office and he did not return.
"I did speak to a fellow councillor before the complaint came in. He was flabbergasted at what he had seen at the house. But politicians should not get involved in the planning process.
"As soon as we had an official complaint action was taken and we are now looking for a new chief executive.
"And I must stress that if enforcement action is necessary over that garage then it will be taken. It will be treated like any other planning matter and that is how it always was treated."
Mr Thorogood left the authority with a "mutually agreed" reference and a financial deal amounting to six months' pay.
Mr Holley said yesterday, "That was the best deal for the council tax payer because the costs could have been huge if we had a long, drawn out investigation while the chief executive was suspended on full pay."
SWANSEA Council leader Chris Holley has strongly defended the authority over allegations it should have acted sooner over former chief executive Tim Thorogood's controversial garage.
Mr Thorogood quit his £120,000 post as head of Swansea City and County Council's 11,000 staff last month.
It followed complaints about additional work on the garage at the rear of the 46-year-old officer's luxury Gower home.
Mr Thorogood and his magistrate wife Alison only had planning permission to operate the building as a garage or tackroom.
A neighbour complained to the council when windows started springing up on the structure.
This week the BBC's Dragon's Eye programme revealed concerns were raised by councillors and council officers in October last year.
But it was not until December, when the neighbour complained, that action was taken.
The Thorogoods had been granted retrospective planning approval for the garage in October.
But the programme said an officer and a councillor, when driving past the Thorogood home, started to express concern.
Labour opposition group leader on Swansea Council, David Phillips, said that was the time action should have been taken.
But Mr Holley, leader of the ruling Liberal Democrat alliance on the council said yesterday, "As soon as the member of public complained and it was taken, we did go into action. Within an hour of having that information in December Mr Thorogood was asked to leave his office and he did not return.
"I did speak to a fellow councillor before the complaint came in. He was flabbergasted at what he had seen at the house. But politicians should not get involved in the planning process.
"As soon as we had an official complaint action was taken and we are now looking for a new chief executive.
"And I must stress that if enforcement action is necessary over that garage then it will be taken. It will be treated like any other planning matter and that is how it always was treated."
Mr Thorogood left the authority with a "mutually agreed" reference and a financial deal amounting to six months' pay.
Mr Holley said yesterday, "That was the best deal for the council tax payer because the costs could have been huge if we had a long, drawn out investigation while the chief executive was suspended on full pay."
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