PLANS have been submitted to build eight houses on community-run park land in order to write-off a £750,000 debt.

The Ford Park Community Group is seeking to rescue the park's dismal finances by selling-off a 0.43 hectare plot to developers to build 'family homes'.

Ulverston Town Council recommended the plans for approval at its meeting on Monday and they will go before South Lakeland District Council's Planning Committee on Thursday, January 29.

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Town councillors voted overwhelmingly in favour of the greenfield site development with seven in favour and one against.

The park faces an uncertain future as, if the housing plans are rejected, it may fall into the hands of creditors and become wasteland.

If plans are approved, Modlar Homes, an Ulverston-based developer, will erect two three bedroom and four five bedroom properties as well as two bungalows.

The Ford Park Community Group said they would take out a covenant to ensure no further development could take place in the park.

Cllr Paul Smith said: "It's only a small area at the bottom of the park which is fairly underused. I don't agree with the loss of public spaces and Ford Park is an essential open space for the town.

"The priority is to save that space and unfortunately there's some things we have to do to save it. Plans have been thought out to minimise the impact it has and it will be as unobtrusive as possible."

Cllr Smith went on to say that if SLDC reject the plans, the consequences could be far reaching.

"If Ford Park isn't financially viable we would lose the community run art space and the fantastic volunteer work that goes on there," he said.

But the plans faced stiff opposition from members of the public who attended the council meeting.

Jonathan Cody, who lives near the proposed development, said: "We should not be using the park as a bank of last resort.

"Future generations will miss that area.

"There will be alternative ways to raise the money and other methods should be looked at first before a valuable area of greenfield land is built on."

Historically, the caretakers of Ford Park took out loans to maintain the public space with a view of selling Ford Park House to offset their debts.

But the Grade II listed property has been on the market for 18 months and the highest offer has been £214,000, much less than its £395,000 asking price.

Alison Alger, chief executive officer of Ford Park, said: "We need to repay historic loans taken out by great people who spent a lot of time trying to save the park. The properties will be family homes not affordable homes in order to generate the return we need. Also, it's sensitively planned for the conservation area, affordable housing would have had much more of an impact. Moving forward, we need the support of the public."