24 February 2006
Swansea taxpayers have paid a massive £76,300 for the investigation into former leisure chief David Evans.
It means the independent investigator brought in to look at the top officer's role in the November 2003 closure of Swansea Leisure Centre was picking up a whopping £100 an hour.
The final bill for the 13-month investigation has been confirmed by Swansea Council.
It has also emerged that the Lib Dem-led administration forced through a deal with Mr Evans that saw him retire two years early on full council pension.
He will also avoid any further action over his role in the closure of the centre.
Councillor Gethin Evans, who sat on the disciplinary body that agreed the deal, said the committee was split on whether or not Mr Evans should answer the three allegations the investigator recommended he should face.
But he claims Lib Dem councillor Susan Waller used her casting vote to push through a deal.
Councillor Evans said: "The written and verbal report given to us made it clear that David Evans had three points that needed to be answered over his role in events leading up to the closure of the leisure centre.
"But when it came to the crunch, the ruling group seemed more eager to get him out the door than to get to the bottom of things."
A spokesman for the Lib Dem, Independent and Conservative coalition said: "We cannot comment on the details of the meeting or on the leak from opposition members.
"The general purposes panel was dealing with a sensitive issue concerning the contractual matters of a member of staff, and as such its business is subject to a degree of understandable confidentiality."
The panel based its decision on the report from the independent investigator which took 763 hours over a 13-month period to draw up.
It recommended Mr Evans, who was suspended on full pay from his £70,000-ayear post while the investigation was carried out, should face three of the eight allegations.
They were that he failed to heed warnings about the poor condition of Swansea Leisure Centre; that he did not make sure staff carrying out health and safety checks knew about the condition of the building; and that he did not follow council practice and involve the legal department on liability issues.
But after more than a year of investigative work, a fee of £76,300.50 for the independent investigator and hours of council resources, not one person has been made accountable for the hugely unpopular closure of Swansea Leisure Centre.
A spokesman for the Labour group said: "It says something about the thinking at County Hall that despite spending this kind of money on an investigation that they initiated from start to finish, the administration thought it was a cheaper option to cut a deal with David Evans."
Councillor Rene Kinzett, a spokesman for the LIC coalition, said: "The charges left against Mr Evans were not enough to convict him of gross misconduct, so he would either have to be reinstated or take early retirement.
"The committee investigating Mr Evans decided to look into his case and to negotiate for a settlement. The committee, in the end, decided that to give Mr Evans early retirement, with no lump sum in compensation, was better and more cost-effective than continuing with an investigation which could have cost about £1,000 per day.
"After councillors Bailey and Francis-Davies admitted their fault in the leisure centre closure, how could one officer take the rap on his own?"
Labour group leader Councillor David Phillips said: "What people are learning about the ruling administration, just as with the Pool Sanctuary investigation, is that they think they are a law to themselves.
"Its also very obvious that their only strategy, whenever they find themselves in political trouble, is to stoke up the leisure centre issue by whatever means."
INQUIRY IS THE ANSWER
South Wales Evening Post - 10 February 2006
Tim Thorogood's disregard of building regulations is a peccadillo when compared with the activities of some property developers and unscrupulous private owners. It is no secret that the best way of getting your demolition and building plans approved by Swansea Council is to do whatever you want and then put in an application for retrospective permission.
In fact, a recent case clearly shows that, if all Gower residents demolished their houses without permission, Swansea Council would reward them by approving their applications to build soulless but more marketable dwellings in their place.
Everyone would be richer and to hell with the area of outstanding natural beauty.
It is, then, hard to understand why Mr Thorogood finds it necessary to resign over something that is accepted by his council officers.
It is kind of Chris Holley to want to save taxpayers' money by avoiding a lengthy inquiry, but I can't help thinking that a lengthy inquiry is exactly what is needed.
Terence Hyde, Highbury, Llanrhidian, Swansea
Tim Thorogood's disregard of building regulations is a peccadillo when compared with the activities of some property developers and unscrupulous private owners. It is no secret that the best way of getting your demolition and building plans approved by Swansea Council is to do whatever you want and then put in an application for retrospective permission.
In fact, a recent case clearly shows that, if all Gower residents demolished their houses without permission, Swansea Council would reward them by approving their applications to build soulless but more marketable dwellings in their place.
Everyone would be richer and to hell with the area of outstanding natural beauty.
It is, then, hard to understand why Mr Thorogood finds it necessary to resign over something that is accepted by his council officers.
It is kind of Chris Holley to want to save taxpayers' money by avoiding a lengthy inquiry, but I can't help thinking that a lengthy inquiry is exactly what is needed.
Terence Hyde, Highbury, Llanrhidian, Swansea
OUT OF TOUCH
South Wales Evening Post - 10 February 2006
Having contacted a number of councillors from different political parties, I found none of them was involved in or consulted about the separation package given to former council chief executive Tim Thorogood. Or so they claimed. I am assured by the leader of the council through the pages of the Post that a compromise package has been agreed, that it represents good value and that I should be delighted at the outcome.
Yet I am not provided with the information as to why a compromise was required or the costs of an alternative course of action. All I have are the assurances of an individual who seems to have been badly out of touch with a situation that clearly needed effective leadership.
Frankly, it is not good enough.
S M Davidson, Arethusa Quay, Maritime Quarter, Swansea
Having contacted a number of councillors from different political parties, I found none of them was involved in or consulted about the separation package given to former council chief executive Tim Thorogood. Or so they claimed. I am assured by the leader of the council through the pages of the Post that a compromise package has been agreed, that it represents good value and that I should be delighted at the outcome.
Yet I am not provided with the information as to why a compromise was required or the costs of an alternative course of action. All I have are the assurances of an individual who seems to have been badly out of touch with a situation that clearly needed effective leadership.
Frankly, it is not good enough.
S M Davidson, Arethusa Quay, Maritime Quarter, Swansea
STANDARDS ARE SLIPPING
South Wales Evening Post - 10 February 2006
Regardless of whether former chief executive Tim Thorogood received any special payments as a consideration, the effusive comments about him by council leader Chris Holley were hardly a fitting description of someone who had been suspended pending an independent disciplinary investigation. Standards have changed at Swansea Council. But not for the better, it seems.
Arthur Coldern, Newton Road, Mumbles, Swansea
(former local government officer).
Regardless of whether former chief executive Tim Thorogood received any special payments as a consideration, the effusive comments about him by council leader Chris Holley were hardly a fitting description of someone who had been suspended pending an independent disciplinary investigation. Standards have changed at Swansea Council. But not for the better, it seems.
Arthur Coldern, Newton Road, Mumbles, Swansea
(former local government officer).
SCANDALS AND SLEAZE
South Wales Evening Post - 10 February 2006
How disappointing that promises by Swansea Council of a new era of openness and transparency have been so quickly overtaken by scandals and sleaze. I think it is high time senior politicians followed the example of their officers and either resigned or took early retirement to follow other careers.
Frances Marshall, Carmarthen Road, Fforestfach, Swansea
How disappointing that promises by Swansea Council of a new era of openness and transparency have been so quickly overtaken by scandals and sleaze. I think it is high time senior politicians followed the example of their officers and either resigned or took early retirement to follow other careers.
Frances Marshall, Carmarthen Road, Fforestfach, Swansea
