Fears sparked over unwanted road in Radstock
Campaigners have accused Bath and North East Somerset Council of building a road "nobody wants" without permission.
The council cleared the land next to Frome Road in Radstock using its Highways Permitted Development powers.
Amanda Leon from Radstock Action Group said: "Nobody wants the road and yet the council and its cohorts are definitely trying to go ahead with it."
The council has said the work is not a guarantee the road will be built. There are fears a new road will damage trade.
As part of the land clearing work, vegetation was cleared and ecological studies were also carried out costing the local authority £7,000.
A spokesman from the council said: "With the recent completion of site clearance work, the council is now in a position to enable the public infrastructure improvements for Radstock to go ahead subject to the outcome of the democratic decision on the Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs).
"The completed works allow a contractor compound to be put in place."
It is part of a regeneration project which would see 200 flats or houses built on disused railway land together with business units.
The plans, if approved, would see the A361 partially diverted through the town centre.
People against the plans say bringing extra traffic via the new road would be dangerous because of the hilly nature of the town centre which would make it difficult for large vehicles to navigate.