PLANS to charge residents £40 a year for parking permits and introduce town centre parking charges are being considered as part of a local transport strategy.

The draft strategy, which East Lothian councillors will be asked to approve on Tuesday, includes a parking management plan which proposes charging people who currently receive permits free and using on-street and off-street parking charges to alleviate problems in town centres.

The proposals, which will go out for consultation if approved, also include possible park-and-ride facilities in Dunbar and Tranent, and a proposal to expand the streets included in Musselburgh residents' parking zone in the Whitehill area near Queen Margaret University to take in almost all of the housing in the Clayknowes area.

They also propose a "review" of coastal car parking charges to consider whether it should be expanded to the three which are currently excluded, at Aberlady Nature Reserve, Skateraw and Thorntonloch, while adding in car parks at Morrison's Haven, west of Prestonpans, and the Ash Lagoons at Musselburgh as potential sites to introduce charges on.

There are currently 754 residents' parking permits in East Lothian, with 540 issued around Queen Margaret University.

The plan, which has been produced by consultants Peter Brett Associates for the council, sets out a three-tier plan of attack to resolve parking issues in East Lothian.

The first action is enforcement, using parking attendants to discourage people from ignoring restrictions.

The second is to introduce parking charges in town centres.

And the third and final option is to build more car parking spaces.

The parking management plan also proposes introducing controlled parking zones which would cover most of Musselburgh town centre and could range from restricted waiting times to an outright ban on parking between certain times of the day, most commonly 8.30am and 6.30pm.

The plan states: "It has been highlighted that a lack of enforcement of existing parking restrictions is a major problem which affects numerous settlements across East Lothian.

"The council currently employs six parking attendants and one supervisor, deploying three on a daily basis. The formation of regular beats and proactive enforcement is challenging and activity operates generally on a reactive basis. The need for effective enforcement has therefore been identified as a key requirement to the resolution of parking problems in our settlements."

And it says: "The principle of introducing charging in some or all of the council-owned off-street car parks on on-street parking will be reviewed periodically and introduced where there is a demonstratable need to improve parking management."

Both the Conservative and SNP groups opposed parking charges in towns in their manifestos in the run-up to the local authority elections in May.

And they have made it clear they will not support moves to introduce them by the council.

In Musselburgh, which could see parking charges introduced in a controlled parking zone which is proposed to start from Fisherrow Harbour and stretch east to Millhill, covering all streets to the north and south as far as Pinkie Road, fears have been voiced about the impact on the town.

Ward councillor Katie Mackie (Conservative) said: "I want Musselburgh to have a bustling high street and am concerned parking charges would have a devastating effect on local business.

"Our manifesto was clear we oppose the introduction of parking charges in our town centres."

And Councillor Stuart Currie, Musselburgh ward member and SNP Group leader, said any suggestion residents should be charged for parking was "ridiculous".

He said: "These days with virtual permits the administrative cost of permits is negligible. To suggest that we increase council tax, which is likely to go up by three per cent again, then ask residents to pay to park outside their own homes is ridiculous.

"We have been clear from the start we do not support on-street or off-street parking charges in East Lothian and will not support this policy."

Councillors will be asked on Tuesday to approve the transport strategy, which includes the plan, for public consultation at a meeting of the full council in Haddington's Town House.