A CONTROVERSIAL parking enforcement company subject to a deluge of complaints while supervising a Keighley car park is no longer managing the facility.

Keighley's MP John Grogan said he was not sorry to see Excel Parking Services go, after its signage and cameras were removed from Cavendish Retail Park car park.

"I think the truth is that most people in Keighley will be glad to see the back of Excel Parking," Mr Grogan added.

"Since I was elected in June, I've been receiving a serious complaint about their management of the car park at least once a fortnight.

"I'd hope things can only get better under the stewardship of G24 Ltd.

"I'll set up a meeting with them to encourage them to adopt a more common sense approach."

Excel has consistently denied any wrongdoing in its role enforcing rules at this car park when previously approached by the Keighley News.

Paul Howard, manager of Keighley Business Improvement District, (BID) said: "We hope the fact there's a new management company in place reduces the number of complaints this car park generates, and that the new company handles things in a more pragmatic way.

"Yes this is private land and Excel were allowed to deal with it how they saw fit.

"But it obviously wasn't working out well in terms of the reputation of the town centre or the reputations of the businesses based on that site."

A spokesman for Excel Parking said: "Excel Parking Services was a tenanted occupier of the car park at Cavendish Retail Park, and our operation of the car park came to an end following the expiry of our lease on July 19."

The car park is now being supervised by Hertfordshire-based firm G24 Ltd.

G24 Ltd declined to comment when approached by the Keighley News this week, and referred the paper to what it said was the car park's owners – B&M Stores.

However a spokesman for B&M Stores denied that it owns the car park.

The Keighley News has received many complaints about Excel Parking's management of the car park, with shoppers saying they received tickets even when payment machines were broken.

Users of the retail park's Sports Direct Gym said they were ticketed when they correctly took advantage of the gym's two hour free parking offer for its members.

One user of the car park said Excel never had planning permission for signs and cameras it used to enforce its rules.

But a Bradford Council spokesman responded: "The use of the land as a regulated car park is lawful and both the signage and cameras are immune from Planning Enforcement action."

Excel Parking's spokesman said: "Signage and cameras installed at the retail park had the benefit of permitted development rights. We've previously provided evidence to Bradford Council that the cameras had been in-situ for more than four years.

"Indeed, there had been signage located at the car park since we started running it in 2000.

"In November 2015 Bradford Council confirmed they were 'satisfied there was no impact on the amenity of the area caused by the cameras or advertisements', and advised 'that the case be closed with no further action using the council's powers of expediency'.

"The case was closed in June 2016, with no further action deemed necessary."