BURY Council will not automatically renew its parking enforcement contract with NCP in the wake of controversy over "insensitive" actions of some wardens.

The contract was awarded to NCP to run for five years, with the option to extend it for a further two years, but the council has decided to put it out for tender at the end of the initial period in October.

The council has asked NCP to continue enforcement for an extra six months until April 2008 while the tendering process takes place. If NCP wish to continue enforcing parking restrictions across the borough, it will have to apply for the new contract alongside other interested companies.

Executive member for environment and transport, Councillor John Byrne, made the decision not to automatically extend the contract because of controversy surrounding NCP and the parking tickets issued.

In the last year, the Bury Times has reported on fines being given to 15 mourners attending a funeral in Prestwich, a Bury Hospice volunteer unloading her van behind the charity's shop in Bury, and a restaurant owner who had parked in the same spot in Ramsbottom for more than 20 years.

Coun Byrne said: "We have had a lot of controversy over parking, but because we want to make sure that we have got it right, we are going to test the market. It gives us the opportunity to have a look at it again. If NCP win it on all the criteria we have put forward, then that's fine.

"It's not a matter of them being sacked. A large number of people park in the borough each day and there is very little controversy, but there have been issues where the attendants haven't been sensitive, such as around churches. That's not NCP, it's the wardens themselves and how they interpret the rules.

"I don't think anyone who sits back and thinks about this seriously will think they are doing a bad service."

Coun Byrne denied that putting the contract out to tender was a way of saving money, even though the council lost £174,263 in parking enforcement in 2005-06. It cost £853,991 to enforce parking restrictions across the borough, but parking fines, waivers and suspensions raised just £679,728 - a deficit of £174,263.

According to figures in the budget for that financial year, the council made £631,467 in profit through off-street parking, such as car parks, while on-street pay-and-display parking brought in £366,580. Overall, parking services contributed £823,784 to the council's general fund in 2005-06, the most recent figures available.

The decision not to renew the contract was supported by members of the council's economy, environment and transport scrutiny commission, who met at the town hall last Thursday.

James Pritchard, communications manager for NCP, said the company would work with the council during the tendering process and planned to apply for the new contract.

He explained that the work carried out by traffic wardens had expanded in recent years to include giving fixed penalty notices to people dropping litter and to inspecting blue badges used by disabled motorists.

Mr Pritchard said: "Bury Council have taken the decision - and it is one which we support - to take a look at the parking contract and some of the detail in that contract. From our point of view, that is a reflection that Bury are looking at the work done by a traffic warden and taking the opportunity after five years to look at the contract.

"At no stage have we taken this as being critical of the service we are providing. We are completely comfortable with what Bury are doing. They are spending public money and it is their right to make sure they are spending it in the best way."