A new app by Powys County Council has been created to help residents and developers identify which trees in their neighbourhoods are protected.

The web portal identifies trees which are secured by a preservation order or are in conservation areas.

Such trees cannot be removed, pruned, or harmed without prior authorisation.

The platform encompasses thousands of trees within the Powys Local Planning Authority region, not including Bannau Brycheiniog National Park.

Noteworthy examples include the Wales Tree of the Year 2019 contestant, a black poplar situated in Newtown's Gravel car park, estimated to be over 350 years old, and Bron y Buckley Wood, Welshpool, an age-old woodland hosting oak, beech, ash and sycamore trees.

Gwilym Davies, the head of planning and regulatory services from Powys County Council, said: "We are keen to make sure that our stunning natural environment is protected, and this new resource makes it quicker and easier for people to check which trees are protected and which are not.

"Trees are an important part of many of our green spaces, that are so vital to people’s wellbeing, and they also play a key role in the fight against climate change."

The new web portal is a collaborative effort of the council’s Digital Development Team and its Planning Services, developed as a part of the Digital Powys Transformation Programme.

The initiative leans into innovative technologies to make the council’s services easier to access and more accommodating for users.