WORK has started on a new development in the South Hams that will see 14 homes offered on an affordable rent basis by housing association Westward.

Once complete, Westward says it will be offering a mixture of flats and two and three-bedroom properties at up to 80 per cent of private sector rental costs.

The company says the new properties will be welcome in the South Hams, the district with the highest average house price in Devon at £336,784.

The development is part of Cavanna Homes’ Palstone Meadow scheme on the eastern edge of South Brent, off Exeter Road.

Westward quotes statistics from the recent National Housing Federation’s Home Truths campaign showing average private rents are £767 in the South Hams, with average incomes of £23,613. This equates to 47 per cent of average monthly net pay, highlighting the need for affordable housing in the area.

With the income required for an 80 per cent mortgage being £76,979, this would require a pay rise of over 300 per cent for the average earner, Westward adds.

There are currently 67 people on the waiting list in need of affordable homes in South Brent, among 1,900 across the South Hams.

The housing association’s Jill Gregg said: ’Westward is pleased to be working with Cavanna and South Hams District Council again to provide more affordable homes in the district. We need to make sure that local people are aware of the opportunity to rent one of these homes and would urge anyone who is interested to register on Devon Home Choice.

The 14 Westward affordable rent properties will include four one bed flats, six two bed houses and four three bed homes. The whole development is scheduled for completion in autumn this year.

South Brent ward councillor and chairman of South Hams District Council Peter Smerdon said the council was fully behind affordable housing for local people.

Cllr Smerdon said: ’We want to do as much as we can to help bring forward affordable rented homes in this ward. We assisted some recently at Holne and Rattery, and now these are in the centre of South Brent.

’We need local people to register for these with Devon Home Choice as the need for young families to live in the villages and towns they grew up in is important.’

Fellow South Brent ward councillor Robert Steer echoed his comments, adding: ’It is good that these are for local people. Youngsters get pushed out of villages and have to move to Totnes or other towns to find accommodation.’

South Brent Parish Council vice chairman and Dartmoor National Park Authority member Cathie Pannell said: ’We would like all the homes built to be affordable rent but we realise there has to be a share for open market sale. With the National Park there are constraints as you would expect with house building but Brent will take a reasonable amount of new homes.’

Acting head of planning at Dartmoor National Park Chris Hart said: ’We are proud to be part of a partnership which will see the delivery of 14 much needed affordable homes for local people in South Brent. The new houses will be well integrated into the attractive development by Cavanna Homes.’

In line with house prices far out of reach of many locals the South Hams also has the highest number of second homes in Devon with 3,995. However, South Hams District Council recently announced it will receive £1.8 million in community housing funds from central government to offset the effects of this, which will help deliver homes through community initiatives like South Brent Community Land Trust.

Affordable rent was introduced by the Government in 2011 as a way of funding new house building by housing associations. Rent levels are higher than those traditionally paid by council / housing association tenants.

The South Brent affordable rent homes will be advertised and available through devonhomechoice.com .