Looe traders condemn proposed road closure
About 150 residents and traders have condemned plans to close a main route in Looe for three months.
Cornwall Council intends to shut the B3253 into Looe in January for South West Water (SWW) to lay sewage pipes for a new housing estate.
People who attended a meeting on Tuesday night said the closure would damage businesses.
Although SWW did not attend the meeting, it said it would listen to people's concerns.
Barratt Homes wants to build around 190 houses in the popular tourist resort.
Tracy Woodman, a volunteer NHS Cornwall First responder, said: "It's a matter of life or death for us. We get there before the ambulance a lot of the time.
'Open to discussion'
"What's going to happen to us if we can't get there?"
Gareth Kendall, from Barratt Homes, said: "Notices will be served to the fire, police and ambulance authority so they can plan alternative routes."
Traders attending the public meeting claimed they would incur huge losses as a result of the road closure.
Graham Brooks, from the Barclay House Hotel, said: "The loss we've worked out for our business is a quarter of a million pounds."
Mr Kendall said access would be retained to all the properties on the road and arrangements for deliveries could be made by a helpline.
People living in the town are calling for a second public meeting to be held with South West Water attending.
The company issued a statement saying that it was "always open to discussion" and that it would "look into the concerns raised to see what could be done."