An award-winning modular building system for affordable housing, land use changes to aid flood prevention and successful fish passes in key Welsh salmon and sea trout rivers. They all have one thing in common - sustainable Welsh woodland.

Coed Cymru, the all Wales initiative to promote the management of broadleaf woodlands and the use of locally grown Welsh hardwood timber, has played a key role in all these pioneering projects.

Coed Cymru's annual stakeholders meeting in Builth Wells heard speakers describe how a four year study by the Flood Risk Management Research Consortium on 10 farms in the Pontbren Farming Group, near Llanfair Caereinion, could have important implications for the rest of Wales.

The research brought together scientists from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, five higher education institutions and the Environment Agency.

Zoe Frogbrook, the Environment Agency's policy adviser for soils and forestry, said she was looking at how the Pontbren experience could be applied across Wales to reduce the risk of flooding.

Research had shown that water quality had improved and rainwater run-off had reduced by planting tree shelter belts and managing streams on the upland farms.

Using the Pontbren template of poorly drained soil and improved grassland, she had mapped and identified other similar areas of Wales with river networks that could alleviate flood risk through land management changes.

"Nothing like this has been done before and my research has identified that there are many areas of Wales where the same land management changes could be applied to increase water storage capacity and reduce flood risk," she added.

Kevin Arthur, project manager for Ty Unnos Modular at Elements Europe in Oswestry, gave an update on the progress of the exciting project that has won five prestigious awards this year.

Ty Unnos (house built in one night), which began as a collaborative project by Coed Cymru, the Design Research Unit at the Welsh School of Architecture and Bangor University two years ago, has been launched as a sustainable, affordable housing solution to address the need for low cost housing.

Ty Unnos Modular, a volumetric housing system based on the original concept, uses locally sourced, sustainable Welsh timber and local labour wherever possible. The system is designed to reduce site, labour and waste costs whilst improving thermal performance.

Elements Europe has developed 15 house types from one bedroom apartments to luxury four bedroomed homes that are made in a factory. Prices range from £68,000 to £138,000, including all development costs and a land allowance.

"We can deliver a speedy solution to the current housing problems with our low cost, affordable homes that are ahead of Government standards," said Mr Arthur.

Coed Cymru director David Jenkins said there were great opportunities for Welsh businesses to become part of a reliable supply chain to Elements Europe because the company was keen to source quality products as locally as possible.

"How inspiring it has been to work with this very dynamic company to bring what was a very interesting research project to a commercial reality," he added.

Coed Cymru partnership chairman Nic Wheeler congratulated Elements Europe on the development of the Ty Unnos concept, which originated in Wales. "We have to convince Welsh ministers that "Made in Wales" is beautiful because it tends to be more sustainable," he added.

David Charlesworth, the Environment Agency's sustainable fisheries project manager, spoke about the successful use of green oak in building a range of fish passes on important salmon and sea trout rivers and tributaries in Wales.

Following contact with Coed Cymru five years ago, the Environment Agency was now sourcing green oak from Wentwood Timber Centre in Monmouthshire. A pilot scheme was such a success that green oak is now used as a cheaper and more effective alternative to concrete and steel in fish passes wherever possible.

"As soon as green oak is introduced to water it takes on much harder and robust properties," said Mr Charlesworth. "We are building up a catalogue of schemes where we have used green oak, which is now the first port of call for fish passes."

Mat Ridley, Coed Cymru woodland officer in Carmarthenshire, spoke about the management of the Carmel National Nature Reserve, which was saved from a proposed limestone quarrying operation following a 10-year campaign.

He described the natural history and the industrial heritage contained in this very complex site, which is managed by the Grasslands Trust. He is currently preparing an application for Better Woodlands for Wales funding to the Forestry Commission to enable the Trust to maintain the mosaic of woodland and grassland habitats on the site

For more information about Coed Cymru visit www.coedcymru.org.uk/tyunnos.