Treelyon and TreeLaw Join Forces to Simplify Tree Protection Searches and Applications

It often begins with a simple question and a tree: a homeowner wants to prune a tree, an arborist is preparing work for a client or a developer is assessing a new site. Before anything can happen, they need to know: is the tree protected?

Sounds simple, right? Too often, it's not.

Finding out whether a tree is protected by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or located within a Conservation Area can mean searching multiple local authority websites, interpreting inconsistent maps and records, or contacting planning authorities directly. The process can be frustrating, time consuming and confusing.

At Tree Law, we have spent years helping homeowners, tree owners, arborists, surveyors, consultants and developers navigate these requirements. At Treelyon, we are building the digital infrastructure needed to make trees visible, measurable and actionable, bringing fragmented information together so that people can understand what exists, where it is and what they can do next.

That is why Tree Law and Treelyon are joining forces to develop a platform that will make tree protection information simpler and more accessible than ever before.

Combining legal expertise and technology

This collaboration brings together the complementary strengths of both organisations. Treelyon will lead the development, hosting and maintenance of the platform, bringing its expertise in geospatial AI technology, data infrastructure and the creation of practical digital tools around trees.

Tree Law will contribute its specialist legal and practical knowledge of Tree Preservation Orders, Conservation Areas and the application process, helping to ensure that the platform is built around the real-world needs of the people who use it.

Together, we are creating a co-branded Tree Law and Treelyon platform that will help users identify whether trees may be protected and, most importantly, make it easier to prepare and submit the relevant applications and notices.

For Treelyon, this partnership reflects a wider belief: information about trees should not remain scattered across disconnected systems or be difficult to access. Bringing this information together is an important step towards making every tree digitally visible and giving people the tools to act on that knowledge responsibly.

Soft launch: try the interactive map

As the first step in our partnership, we are now soft launching the platform.

The platform brings together Conservation Area and TPO information that is currently available electronically. Users can search for a location and see whether the available mapped data indicates that the land or trees may fall within a Conservation Area or be subject to a Tree Preservation Order, submit a new application and access previous ones.

This is an important first stage in the development of the wider platform. As of now it contains more than 75% of TPOs and we're actively contacting the remaining local planning authorities to get their TPO data available. One of the aims of this partnership is to work with authorities to improve that coverage over time.

We want to build something that is useful and makes your life easier. We want people to appreciate their trees rather than seeing them as a liability and a cause of stress, so we would really encourage you to try it for yourself: search for your home, a client's property, a development site or somewhere you regularly work, and let us know what you find. We want your feedback to make it better, and useful.

Try the map here

We would particularly like to know whether you found the search useful, whether the information matched what you expected to find and what additional features would make the platform more valuable to you as well as any additional constructive feedback you have that can help us improve (and of course if you find it useful, send us a note, it will make us very happy as well!).

This is a soft launch, and your feedback will directly help shape what we build next.

What the platform will do

The wider platform is being designed to help users search available data and identify whether land or trees may be subject to a Tree Preservation Order or situated within a Conservation Area.

Where works are proposed, it will also help users navigate the next step, including preparing and submitting applications for consent to carry out works to TPO-protected trees and section 211 notices for qualifying works to trees within Conservation Areas.

Our aim is to create a much simpler journey:

1. Search for the property or location.
2. Understand what protections may affect the tree.
3. Where necessary, prepare and submit the appropriate application or notice through the same platform.
4. Once the application has been determined, access legal advice from Tree Law on the appropriate next step, if required.

The aim is not simply to place more information on a map. It is to connect the information to a clear course of action.

Obtaining accurate tree protection information can currently involve searching multiple local authority websites, requesting data from planning authorities and interpreting legal requirements before an application can even be submitted.

By combining available planning data, Treelyon's geospatial technology and Tree Law's specialist expertise, the new platform will create a more intuitive experience that guides users through the process from start to finish.

Whether you are a homeowner looking to prune a protected tree, an arborist managing several sites, a professional advising clients, or a tree-data-nerd like some of us, we got you! The platform is being designed to support informed decisions and more efficient application submissions.

Building better national coverage

One of the most exciting aspects of this partnership is the opportunity to improve access to tree protection information across England.

Tree Law will work directly with local planning authorities to obtain TPO and Conservation Area data that may not currently be available through existing digital sources. Treelyon will bring that information into a consistent and accessible geospatial platform, helping to strengthen the dataset and improve coverage for users nationwide. Over time, the result will be a continually developing resource that supports greater transparency and makes tree protection information easier to find, understand and use.

This is central to Treelyon's work. Trees are essential natural infrastructure, yet the information surrounding them is often fragmented, incomplete or inaccessible. Creating a reliable digital layer for protected trees is one step towards changing that.

Tree Preservation Orders and Conservation Area controls play an important role in protecting trees that contribute to local character, biodiversity and public amenity.

However, understanding those protections and complying with the relevant application requirements should not be unnecessarily difficult. This partnership is about making the process clearer, more accessible and more efficient, while helping to ensure that important protections continue to be understood and respected.

Better access to information benefits everyone: the people responsible for trees, the professionals advising them, the authorities managing applications and, ultimately, the trees themselves.

What's next

The full platform is under ongoing improvements and development, and we're excited about what comes next.

By combining Treelyon's technology and approach to tree data with Tree Law's specialist legal expertise, we are building a practical solution for homeowners, contractors, consultants, landowners and local authorities alike.

For Tree Law, it is an opportunity to make specialist knowledge available earlier and more clearly in the process. For Treelyon, it is part of a larger mission to build the ground truth layer of the physical world and make every tree digitally visible, measurable and actionable.

In the meantime, we are pleased to soft launch the platform and gather feedback from users across the sector.

If you would like to stay informed about the project, follow Tree Law and Treelyon on social media, keep an eye on our websites for future announcements and, most importantly, try the platform and tell us what you think. We'd love to hear from you!

If you have any ideas or would like us to develop the same for your country or city, please reach out to us.