South Hams District Council (SHDC) is taking ambitious new steps to help deal with the district's critical need for more affordable housing.

The council wants to force at least half of all new developments in the area to be cheaper homes.

The proposal is part of the council's Affordable Housing Development Plan Document (DPD).

"The aim is that all housing sites should play their part, starting with a small financial contribution from developments of just one house and then stepping up a ladder to the point where for sites of 15 houses or more, half of every scheme will have to be for affordable homes," the council said in its document.

"The DPD also sets targets for larger sites which will be specifically proposed in future council plans as part of its growing Local Development Framework portfolio.

"These targets range from 50 per cent for sites on the edge of Plymouth, through 55 per cent for sites in South Hams towns, to 60 per cent on sites in our villages."

Just over 10 per cent of properties in the South Hams are second homes.

Hotspots for holiday homes include Salcombe, East Portlemouth, Hope Cove, South Pool, Chivelstone, Bigbury, Dartmouth and Ringmore.

The growing number of second homes in the district is helping to push house prices out of reach of the local population.

Local people have become increasingly frustrated that so many properties are lying empty for much of the year, while they find it impossible to get on the property ladder.

SHDC has already introduced a number of initiatives to help the local population purchase a home.

In 2003, it became the first council in England to reduce the council tax discount given to second home owners.

The council decided to reduce the second home owners discount from 50 per cent to 10 per cent.

According to the SHDC, the measure has helped to raise an extra £2m a year. This money has been spent on a number of affordable housing projects in the area, including the new development at Bonfire Hill in Salcombe.

The council is currently building 33 new houses and apartments at the site, 14 for rent and 19 for shared ownership.

The average cost of a property in the South Hams is now more than £280,000, while local workers earn an average salary of a mere £15,000.