New developments will have to adhere to the planning guidance

South Hams councillors have put affordable housing at the top of their priority list.

Average house prices are about 10 times the average salary, causing major difficulties for first-time buyers.

The planning guidance comes into force immediately and all developers will have to adhere to it.

Planning blueprint

The rules also require any low-cost housing to be used for meeting local needs, and not sold to people moving into the area from elsewhere.

This could mean those that are eligible for houses in rural areas are limited to living in just a handful of surrounding parishes.

In recent years, the council has risen to the forefront of the national affordable housing debate, including acting as advisors to the Prince of Wales.

The affordable housing quota will become even higher once policies in the council's planning blueprint - the Local Development Framework - are finalised in 2006.

The blueprint contains a requirement for two-thirds of new housing in the plan to be affordable for local people.

Councillor Isabelle Steer, executive member for housing, said: "We can't over-emphasise the importance of this measure.

"These new planning guidelines mean we can now negotiate a large amount of affordable housing in all new developments, not just the ones we have identified in our local plan."