TRADERS and residents are fearing a parking nightmare in Coulsdon when work to build a supermarket in Lion Green Road gets under way later this year.
Croydon Council has confirmed the car park will be closed from November for 15 months while a supermarket and health centre are built.
The closure will mean the loss of 216 spaces which are used not only by town centre shoppers, but also commuters travelling from Coulsdon South station.
Business owners fear the closure of the car park will hit their trade as customers look to avoid the hassle of finding somewhere to put the car.
Alan Wright, from Express Copy, said: "I think it's going to have an impact on everything. It's silly. It seems the council are hitting Coulsdon in every way they can at the moment.
"If there's no parking spaces, where are people going to park?
"If you take away the parking, you take away the arteries of the town."
He said it would be difficult for traders themselves to park while in work, as Lion Green Road was their only option to park all day.
Dorothy Sandiford, 76, of Fairdene Road, said: "We've already got problems on our road as spaces are taken by those parking for the station."
The new development includes plans for 180 parking spaces which will be available to the new supermarket's customers and those planning to shop in the town centre once work is finished.
An extra 26 spaces will be made available by the council in the town while work is carried out.
A spokesman for the council said: "The car park will close as development starts in November. If there is any change to that timetable, we will let residents know. The car park will be closed during construction, which is expected to take about 15 months.
"An extra 14 on-street bays for parking up to two hours are being introduced in the town centre, along with free bays for up to 12 cars a little further from the town centre. The free bays will be aimed mainly at commuters and should be in place before the car park closes."
