Action urged over car park littered with human waste

The owners of a city centre car park that has human waste in stairwells and is littered with nitrous oxide cannisters have been urged to act over its poor state.

The Southgate multi-storey on Thornton Road is one of Bradford's biggest, with more than 430 spaces, and is located close to live music venue Bradford Live.

Bradford Business Improvement District (BID) said the condition of the car park was "unacceptable" and urged the operators to bring in a member of staff to keep it clean and tidy.

Ocean Parking, who are believed to have taken over the car park's management last month, have been contacted for comment.

The state of the car park has been reported to Bradford Council's environmental health team.

According to LinkedIn, the former NCP car park was taken over by Ocean Parking and has undergone an "upgrade" to improve the experience for "visitors to local landmarks", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Visitors to the car park pay £1.95 for an hour, £7.80 for four hours and £12.50 for 24 hours.

The announcement said: "Now fully open under Ocean Parking management, the site has been upgraded to include 24-hour ANPR, CCTV monitoring for security, a range of payment options, and a versatile permit provision designed to support local demand.

"We've also retained accessibility through reduced rates for visitors to local landmarks.

"Same car park, different operator, delivered quickly, with minimal disruption, and a clear focus on customer experience."

With the Kirkgate Centre car park having closed last week and Bradford Live due to host acts including Gloria Gaynor, Hawkwind and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, the car park is likely to see an increase in use.

Jonny Noble, chair of Bradford BID, said first impressions were "vital".

"We would urge the operators of the Southgate car park on Thornton Road to introduce staffing to keep the car park clean and tidy and to assist in reporting of anti-social behaviour in the area."

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