Rural communities could “shrivel up and die” without more affordable housing, countryside campaigners have warned.

Figures obtained by the Countryside Alliance have revealed that, while local authorities across the South West have grand plans to deliver less expensive homes, only a fraction are actually constructed.

Alison Hawes, regional director for the South West, said failing to get to grips with the problem would result in dire consequences. She said: “The fact that so many local authorities are failing to even plan and aim for a majority of the needed affordable housing, clearly shows that providing inexpensive housing for people living in the countryside is way down their list of priorities.

“Our members tell us that the lack of affordable housing is a huge problem in the Westcountry, and with an ageing population there are genuine worries that younger people will be priced out of the region altogether unless the shortages are addressed.

“It would be a catastrophe for these councils not to get to grips with this problem as soon as possible.”

According to the survey conducted by the Countryside Alliance, in 2008 North Devon District Council identified that 821 affordable homes needed to be built, but only 48 – or 6 per cent – were actually completed.

It was a similar picture for West Dorset District Council, which identified a need for 653 affordable homes in 2007, but was only able to deliver 100, or 17 per cent.

There was a better picture in East Devon District Council, which delivered two-thirds of the 250 affordable homes it identified as required in 2007.

The same year, Mid Devon District Council saw the completion of 45 per cent of the 223 affordable homes it had envisaged.

Cornwall Council was unable to respond to the survey because the period it covered was before the amalgamation of six districts into one unitary authority.

However, Cornwall Councillor Mark Kaczmarek, portfolio holder for housing and planning, said 900 affordable homes had been completed in the last 12 months.

However, he said there were currently 20,000 people on the council’s housing waiting list.

He said: “There is a will to build affordable homes in Cornwall. It’s one of our priorities.

“We have got the passion, but we haven’t got the money.”

According to the Countryside Alliance, of the 135 rural and semi-rural councils in England, there was an

identified annual need of 76,532 homes but a target of only 17,208 – a shortfall of 78 per cent.

Alice Barnard, chief executive of the charity and campaigning organisation, said that a lack of affordable rural homes could lead to the break-up of communities and a loss of services.

She added: “If the rural need for affordable housing is not addressed – and urgently – many of those communities upon which our countryside depends will shrivel up and die.”

Campaigners warned that rural housing remained less affordable than in urban areas, and average wages for workers in the countryside were £4,655 lower than the national average.

A Department for Communities and Local Government spokesman said regional house building targets set up by the last Government had not delivered.