Traders opposed to proposals for a one-way system in the Upper Norwood triangle have vowed to fight Croydon Council after the authority rejected a petition signed by 90 businesses.

The traders are furious that they were not adequately consulted on an issue that will affect their livelihoods, after the council informed them that work would begin in the coming weeks.

The petition, organised by a group called Triangle Traders, urges the council to suspend the introduction of the one-way system - and the affiliated loading and parking restrictions - in order to "avert potentially disastrous economic consequences on businesses and the local area".

The petition, including signatures from Gala Bingo and McDonalds, was suggested by assistant director of traffic and parking Chris Martin, but was rejected by project manager Ian Sim at a meeting last week.

The £2millon scheme will take traffic in a clockwise direction around Westow Hill, Church Road and Westow Street.

And it will be half financed by Government regeneration funds.

A number of loading bays and parking spaces have been included to meet the needs of shoppers and businesses and curb illegal street and pavement parking, which causes congestion.

But the traders believe the lack of on-street parking will stop customers using the district centre and ruin their livelihoods.

Triangle Trader's Sue Nagle said: "The traders are vigorously opposed to the scheme, in particular the parking and loading arrangements. Most of them thought the scheme had been thrown out with the multiplex (at Crystal Palace Park)."

But the council's assistant director of policy and implementation, Ian Sim said: "There has been consultation over the years, starting in November 1998.

"In the summer of 1999 there was more consultation, offering different options for the scheme."

Extensive consultation took place with residents through the Crystal Palace partnership, and businesses through the Chamber of Commerce and the Upper Norwood Improvement Team (UNIT).

But Mrs Nagle says the consultation should have been directly with traders so they formed Triangle Traders in November 2001 to pursue the issue.

Mr Sim pointed out that the loading and parking restrictions which is the trader's main bone of contention, could be reviewed.

He said: "They will go ahead on an experimental basis.

"We will then listen to what people think and make changes where necessary."