Bizarre goings-on at Baildon’s Ian Clough car park continue to bewilder councillors following the disappearance of two vital disabled parking bays.

Days after a French-made parking meter suddenly switched from only accepting euros, drivers with special parking needs are now stranded because the closest bays to the community hall have been brightly repainted – omitting their original wheelchair symbols.

The car park is split into lower and upper levels. Down a steep path and beneath high stone steps there are now two shiny new yellow disabled bays, making a total of four in that parking area.

However, the top car park, where visitors park for the Ian Clough Hall – which runs courses and events specifically for disabled people – now has none.

Ward Councillor Val Townend said she had been contacted by residents stunned by the Council’s apparent bungle.

“I reported that the paint on the disabled bays had nearly faded away some 18 months ago and earlier this month workmen arrived, cleaned and repainted the whole car park – but failed to replace those bays closest to the hall’s entrance,” Coun Townend (Con, Baildon) said.

“They just painted them as ordinary white bays – so I’m concerned about the difficulty for people who want to use the hall, but can’t get anywhere close.

“It’s a very well used building, and one lady who comes to a flower arranging class rang me very upset because she couldn’t get in to park.

“It’s crazy – there are now four spaces in the car park below, but it’s virtually impossible for them to get up the slope from there,” said Coun Townend.

Equally puzzled is fellow Baildon Councillor Roger L’Amie.

“The thing that rubs salt into the wound is that they painted four in total as they should have done – but all in the bottom car park and none in the top,” said Coun L’Aime (Con).

“One of the strengths of the Ian Clough Hall as a community centre is its accessibility – which has now gone,” he said.