Overview
- Journalists documented human faeces in stairwells, a pervasive smell of urine, nitrous oxide canisters and widespread litter at the Southgate multi-storey car park, based on inspections reported on Friday, June 26, 2026.
- Ocean Parking announced it took over the former NCP site about four weeks ago and said it had installed 24-hour ANPR, CCTV and new payment options, but reporters found the car park was not reflected in the company’s promotional case studies and the operator had not publicly resolved the problems.
- Bradford BID’s chair asked the operator to place staff and improve security, and Bradford Council’s leader has written to the car-park regulator and said the council is taking urgent enforcement action to ensure the site is cleaned as soon as possible.
- Reporters also found broken or stripped payment machines and lifts out of service with notices telling users to use the stairs, raising clear accessibility and safety concerns for disabled visitors.
- The 430-plus space car park sits close to Bradford Live and will likely see more users after the Kirkgate Centre car park closure, which increases the risk of a poor visitor experience and makes the council’s next enforcement and any operator response the key developments to watch.