THE state of one of Trowbridge’s busiest car parks has been lamented by Trowbridge councillors and residents.

St Stephen’s Place multi-storey opposite St Stephen’s Place Leisure Park has become a ‘cesspit’ and needs to be cleaned by Wiltshire Council, say councillors, who discussed the issue at a town council meeting on Tuesday. (November 8).

People can use a Wiltshire Council mobile phone app to report areas they would like to see cleaned in the town but that is not enough, according to Trowbridge councillor Graham Payne.

He said: “A lot of people aren’t confident using mobile phones and it can be quite a tricky process, so they are often put off reporting things they see in the town, such as the state of a car park.

“In 2008 the town council spent nearly £500,000 cleaning it to a high standard and the stairwells used to get regularly blasted with heavy duty cleaning fluid, but I don’t think those stairs have been cleaned in months. It absolutely stinks in there and it’s a matter of public health.

“Since the new entertainment complex was built across the road that car park has been getting used a lot more.

“It’s a terrible start to the night when people have to walk down those steps and take in that awful smell.”

The car park, owned by Wiltshire Council, has 446 spaces and is open 24 hours.

Trina Kandolo, 35, from Bowerhill in Melksham, said: “It smells a bit funny and needs a good clean.

“My main worry is that if a child falls over, they will be putting their hand in urine, which wouldn’t be very nice at all. It’s probably one of the worst looking car parks I park in.”

One of the main issues with the car park, say people who use it frequently, is the stench of urine and litter in the stairwells.

Paul Symmonds, 62, from Trowbridge, said: “This car park is a fantastic asset for the town, especially as it’s free to use.

“However, it’s just a shame that people decide to use it as a toilet. Perhaps the solution is to educate those people that it is in fact a car park, not a toilet.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “We clean the car park every day, which should be sufficient to ensure it is well maintained, although people can still report issues through My Wilts.

“Some of the issues raised are as a result of antisocial behaviour and we would encourage people to treat all facilities with respect.”