Tree planting programme | BETA - South Gloucestershire Council

We are committed to an ambitious tree planting programme which aims to see enough trees planted by 2030 that at maturity will double canopy cover in our area.

About the programme

Since we declared a climate and nature emergency in 2019, we have planted thousands of new trees on land we manage.

This includes planting in public open spaces, on highways verges and in green areas within residential developments, bringing benefits directly where people live.

Pucklechurch Wood

We are planting a new woodland at Pucklechurch which will be the largest woodland ever planted on South Gloucestershire Council-owned land.

Over 2 years we aim to plant 30 hectares of new woodland here, an area equal to 42 football pitches.

This year, tree planting will take place between November 2025 and March 2026. At this time trees are dormant, so this gives them the best chance of fully establishing.

For such an ambitious project we need the help of a large number of volunteers – you can sign up to volunteer now on Eventbrite.

Aerial plan of Pucklechurch Wood planting areas and species labelled

We are working on this project with the Forest of Avon, Pucklechurch Parish Council and other partners.

Funding for the woodland has come from the government’s Trees for Climate fund through the Forest of Avon, as well as Pucklechurch Parish Council.

The creation of new wetland features is also planned, including natural low areas called scrapes that capture rainfall and help prevent flooding. These are essential to ensure the long term health of the woodland. A historic pond will also be restored.

Funding for these features comes from the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (WECA) as part of the Common Connections project.

The regional picture

Our programme aligns with and supports the wider regional tree-planting goals in the:

Working with these partners and our communities, the ambition underlying the programme is to speed up nature recovery and improve climate resilience across the region.

How trees help improve climate resilience

Trees bring many benefits to the environment and our health. They:

provide natural habitats for insects, birds and other wildlife including fungi and lichen
create shade and cool the air around them
capture carbon dioxide and store carbon which is a major contributor to climate change
improve air quality
slow rainwater run-off and protect against flooding
create greener places for people to enjoy

You can find out more about our vision for ‘greener places where people and nature thrive’ in our Green Infrastructure Strategy.