'Unacceptable' - Car park company plans to introduce on site staff over anti-social behaviour fears
The operators of a car park that has been deemed “unacceptable” by Bradford Council’s leader are planning to introduce staff on site.
The Southgate Car Park, on Thornton Road, hit the headlines last week due to the horrendous conditions inside.
As well as nitrous oxide canisters littered through the parking area, there was human faeces, piles of litter and a stench of urine through the building.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service visited the site on Wednesday evening and, despite contacting operators Ocean Parking the next day, the same waste remained on Friday.
Councillor Stephen Place, leader of Bradford Council, said the car park was “simply unacceptable.”
He added: “We have taken urgent enforcement action to ensure the site is cleaned as soon as possible, and I have also written to the car park operator, and their regulator, to raise this matter and set out the need for the site to be maintained and cared for properly.”
West Yorkshire Police told the LDRS that Bradford Council is dealing with the anti-social behaviour issues at the site.
On Monday Ocean Parking, which took over the car park last month, finally released a statement.
A spokesperson for Ocean Parking said: “We are aware of the anti-social behaviour, substance misuse and the resulting issues affecting The Southgate multi-storey car park on Thornton Road in Bradford.
“Last month, we extended the car park’s opening hours to 24 hours a day to better serve the local community, particularly those visiting nearby facilities such as Bradford Live, the theatre and local hotels.
“Unfortunately, this has also led to an increase in anti-social behaviour and misuse of the site. In response, we have implemented CCTV across the car park.
“However, individuals are increasingly taking advantage of the enclosed stairwells, making it difficult to detect every incident despite our security teams remaining on standby to help ensure the safety of the location.
“We raised our concerns with the Police several weeks ago, and requested increased patrols in the area. At present, we are not aware of any additional action having been taken in response to those requests.
“We have also arranged a number of professional deep cleans following reports of misuse. Regrettably, the frequency of these incidents means the site can quickly deteriorate again.
“Currently we’re working closely with our client to introduce a full-time on-site cleaning and site presence in the near future to improve the condition of the facility and provide greater reassurance to customers.
“We are disappointed that what was intended to be a positive addition for the community is being abused by a small number of individuals.
“We remain committed to working with our client and law enforcement to improve the situation and ensure the car park remains a safe, clean and welcoming facility for everyone.”