The Princess Royal is visiting the South Hams next month to promote the need for more affordable housing in the district.

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, president of the Rural Housing Trust (RHT), will speak at a rural housing seminar to be held at the Noss Mayo Village Hall on November 2.

Organised by the RHT and supported by South Hams District Council (SHDC), the seminar aims to educate parish councillors in the district on their role in promoting affordable housing projects for local people.

Delegates (who attend at no cost) will be shown what policies and good practice exist to achieve sustainable housing solutions.

The RHT will share its expertise and experience of the rural exception site policy where planning permission for affordable housing can be granted if homes are reserved for local people. Community involvement is crucial to the development of such projects, which must meet local housing needs.

Cllr Michael Saltern, SHDC: "The need for affordable housing in the South Hams is as great, if not greater, than the need in the South East of England."

The lack of affordable housing in small villages is an important issue and creates imbalance in communities.

According to the National Housing Federation (NHF), average house prices across the South West are now nearly 12 times average incomes, making the region one of the most unaffordable areas in the UK to buy a home.

The South West is the only region in the country to suffer from higher house prices but lower incomes than the national average.

Figures published by the NHF show that in South Hams the average house price in 2006 was £281,818, whilst the average income was £17,940. Based on this, the income needed for a mortgage was £76,494.

More than 10 per cent of homes in the district are registered as second homes.

Moira Constable, chief executive of the RHT, said: "We are not here to tell parish councils that they have a lack of affordable housing because they know that. But we are keen to show them what they can do to overcome the problem. Well conceived projects will achieve community support and approval of the planners and parish councils play a vital role in making that happen."

Cllr Michael Saltern, of SHDC, added: "The need for affordable housing in the South Hams is as great, if not greater, than the need in the South East of England. In South Hams we suffer from higher than average house prices, but lower than average income. This means up to 16 times the average annual income is needed to purchase an average home in the area. This double blow puts owning a home out of the reach of many of our residents.

"SHDC is committed to providing affordable homes for local people, not only in the market towns, but in the villages too. We welcome this seminar and look forward to parishes in the South Hams talking to us about how we can work together to address their particular housing needs.”

On her departure from the seminar, Princess Anne will unveil a plaque to commemorate the opening of the renovated village hall.