UP to 2,000 new homes will be built across Barrow borough in the next 15 years despite projections that population numbers will continue to plummet.
A total of 1,990 houses are set to be constructed in 38 housing sites across the borough by 2031 at a rate of 105 homes per year, according to the council's new Local Plan.
However, figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest that Barrow will see the biggest population decline in England over the next 10 years.
By 2024, the population is expected to fall from 67,600 to just 64,700 which represents a drop of 4.3 per cent. This has been attributed to an ageing population and young people aged between 20 and 34 leaving Furness for the bigger cities.
Councillor Brendan Sweeney disagrees with the predicted population trends as he says it doesn't take into account the town's ever-changing workforce.
He said: "What we do know in Barrow is that when the new electoral register was published last autumn, the number of people here went up whereas in other places like Carlisle the numbers dropped.
"The shipyard is employing a lot more people and that will push the population up. Our population depends a lot on our temporary workforce and contractors - if a submarine is in town then a lot of the Royal Navy will be based in Barrow for a lengthy period of time.
"Census records take a note of the population on any given day and in Barrow it is a lottery because we are heavily affected by the amount of work that is going on at the time.
"I think we've come up with the right number but my personal instincts tell me that we will be building more houses sooner than we will in a decade."
Of the 38 housing sites that have been proposed, 20 will be in Barrow, 10 will be in Dalton, six will be in Askam and Ireleth and two will be in Lindal and Newton.
Controversially, 30 of the sites have been earmarked for construction on greenfield land, despite the council's pledge to promote a "brownfield first" approach to housing land.
Susan Kell, landlady of the Newton Arms pub in Newton Road, Dalton, is concerned about plans to build on greenfield sites in the town.
She said: "Personally I like the green spaces and I would prefer it if we retained them for the future. Also one of the developments is going to be on a former quarry and I am worried about its stability because if the earth shifts it could potentially be very dangerous."
Coun Sweeney insisted that although residents are right to have issues about plans to use our green spaces for construction, there is a need for more housing.
He said: "It's all about compromise; we have of course got to respect people who do raise objections to developments, because construction work will be going on close to their houses, but at the same time we have to be realistic.
"More and more parents are working full time and will want to buy affordable semi-detached houses with gardens. We have a lot of good terraced houses at the moment, particularly in Barrow, but new estates will allow us to create a sustainable future of housing which will last for years to come."
As well as 38 housing sites, the council has also designated "opportunity areas" which will be transformed to incorporate a mix of housing, heritage and leisure facilities.
These have been pinpointed for Channelside, Salthouse Mills and Phoenix Road and an abandoned golf driving range in Walney Road, Barrow.
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