The Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones AM, paid a visit to Cilrhedyn Woodland Centre in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park last Thursday. Ms Jones met staff and members of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority, which runs the Gwaun Valley centre, as well as Coed Cymru officers and a representative of the Welsh School of Architecture. Following a briefing from conservation team leader Mike Howe on the National Park Authority's land management and conservation work, Ms Jones was given a tour of Cilrhedyn. Ms Jones said: "Today's visit has highlighted the importance of innovation when developing management plans for sustainability and woodland conservation in the Welsh landscape. "I am delighted to see these principles in action at Cilrhedyn Woodland Centre as it demonstrates the potential for a combined vision of the future where commercial enterprise, conservation and tourism can work together in our National Parks." The Minister also had chance to learn about the Ty Unnos project which has been developed by Coed Cymru. The purpose of the project is to establish the feasibility of producing low cost, social housing using homegrown softwood. Iwan Parry, Pembrokeshire's Coed Cymru officer, explained: "At present all the modern timber frame manufacturers in Wales use imported softwoods because of the greater stability and superior strength properties of slow grown softwood from cooler and drier climates. "It was recognised that simple substitution with homegrown softwood was not an option. If a system was to be adopted generally, it would need to stabilise the main structural components and eliminate the need for conventional trussed rafters. This would require a radical departure from existing practice. We are working with the Welsh School of Architecture, Cowley Timberwork and the University of Wales, Bangor, to achieve this goal." Ifor Jones is the National Park Authority's director of planning and conservation. He added: "The authority was very pleased to have the opportunity to brief the Minister on site. She was extremely positive about Ty Unnos and the land management and conservation work the authority carries out to help keep the National Park special."