Herefordshire Council could scrap free parking for pensioners while keeping concessions for VIPs including councillors, senior officers and staff.

The elderly would instead be encouraged to use buses, according to a new report into parking problems across the county.

According to the report, councillors and council staff will be steered towards other forms of transport but would keep their concessions where alternatives were not appropriate - for instance, if affected by moving office under the ongoing property review.

It will form the basis of a new countywide parking strategy in the revised Herefordshire Local Transport Plan.

The report, published this week, also recommends a proper all-year-round park and ride scheme for Hereford and an annual review of all charges in the city and market towns.

Residents' parking passes are proposed too, but only where they have the support of householders.

The report goes to the council's environment scrutiny committee on Monday. If its ideas find favour there, they go to cabinet for consideration.

It is the work of a scrutiny sub-committee, commissioned to carry out a review and make recommendations to establish a uniform car parking strategy and pricing policy. Final approval lies with the full council.

Car parking has been worth more than £1 million a year to Herefordshire Council since it took over enforcement in November 2001 from the police. The parking service is self-funding, with any surplus targeted toward transport budgets.

A review group was set up late last year to examine all aspects of current parking policy and its findings were to be a basis for change.

The group gathered evidence from the council's tourism, economic development, and treasury teams, town and parish authorities, and so-called 'key users'.

Among its recommendations are:

Scrapping free parking for pensioners. The group says that the current scheme - £5 a year for a disc that allows the holder two hours of free parking in their nearest town - costs the council around £100,000 a year in lost revenue.

Herefordshire is the only authority in the Midlands offering this kind of concession and some 5,000 discs have been issued. Instead, the report recommends that pensioners are encouraged to use buses, though the report recognises the limitations of some rural routes.

Disabled concessions continue.

Park and ride for Hereford. A long-term project, with no specified locations at the moment, to ease the squeeze on parking places in the city. The group also wants better management of currently available parking places to stop traffic "circling" for space.

Annual reviews of charges - but not necessarily increases. The group acknowledged the extent of support for Pay on Exit parking but said that the "significant cost" involved effectively ruled it out.

Residents' parking. A number of on-street schemes have already been set up and the report recommends others are introduced only where they have the support of householders. It does, however, hint at the issuing of special permits for visitors, tradesmen, deliveries and carers. Marked bays could reserve parking places in streets where space was tight.

Other aspects of the report outline moves to improve car parks, zone charging in Hereford, and specific parking policies for market towns.

The review group recommends "consideration" of concessions for councillors, staff and VIPs as part of the council's travel plan initiative and proposals arising from changes to staff accommodation under the property management scrutiny review.

The group recommends that the relevant cabinet member considers the withdrawal of parking concessions for pensioners. The scheme is said to be contrary to the council's aim of encouraging bus use.