A colourful L&G umbrella with a curved handle stands upright in a sunlit woodland clearing, surrounded by a dense carpet of blooming bluebells and vibrant green foliage.

Pudding Wood, Surrey

Transforming 155 hectares of low-grade agricultural land in southern England to new woodland and biodiverse habitats designed to sequester carbon dioxide and increase biodiversity over the long term.

About the project

The UK is now one of the most nature depleted countries on Earth¹, and the impacts are increasingly being felt – from flooding to air and water pollution.

To combat the risks arising from climate change and nature loss, new opportunities are emerging around nature-based solutions.

L&G has expertise in developing real assets such as affordable housing. We are now building on this expertise by developing nature-based solutions.

Our aim is to demonstrate through Pudding Wood that we can invest in the development of high-quality biodiversity and carbon credits, while also delivering positive outcomes for local communities.

April 2026, Community update

Phase 1 complete

April sees the successful completion of Phase 1 of our works. This winter we have:

Planted 100,000 trees across the site;

Created 2.65 kilometres of new hedgerow; and,

Undertaken works to existing woodlands to improve their biodiversity value.

We are also starting works on fencing. Fencing is necessary to keep deer out of some of the larger areas. This will be a 1.8 metre fence. The fence will also be removed once the trees have sufficiently matured.

Ground Control, our contractor, will be leaving the site in early May.

Rows of young tree saplings protected by light green tubes stretch across a muddy field under an overcast sky, with woodland visible in the distance.

Getting ready for Phase 2

In April, we will be turning our attention to our Phase 2 works. These will start in August this year and will cover additional tree planting and habitat creation.

Designing a new community woodland

As part of Phase 2, we are proposing the development of a community woodland. To help shape its design, we will be holding an event at Providence Chapel, Charlwood to discuss the proposals with local residents.

Date: Thursday, 14 May 2026

Time: 12.00pm to 8.00pm

The L&G design team will be available throughout the day - please join us to help shape the design of this new community space.

The area for this woodland is shown in the map below:

Woodland Works

We will begin works on some of the existing woodland on the site in mid-February. These works will involve the removal of pheasant pens, the thinning of trees and the creation of woodland glades.

The works are aimed at improving woodland biodiversity. Removal of pheasant pens will reduce disturbance in the woodland. Creation of clearings will introduce light and warmth into parts to the woodland, allowing a wider range of plants and animals to be present. The works will also improve woodland structure allowing a wider age range of trees to be present as well as creating a mix of open and closed canopy conditions. The works will help improve the long-term resilience of the woodland.

Wood generated from thinning will be retained on site – with the majority placed on the forest floor in order to increase the amount of dead wood present. This again creates new habitat to form.

Our plan for biodiversity

We aim to protect and enhance existing habitats and species of importance and add to these through habitat creation aimed at benefitting a range of key species, which will make a significant contribution to the objectives of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy.