Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning application documents: what to read first
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.
Scotland · Local authority
West Lothian planning applications
PlanningTrack collects planning applications and decisions from the public planning register of West Lothian. Search an address, application reference or proposal. Official West Lothian website
Collected application statistics
Collected records · All available dates23,283Searchable applications
273Recorded as pending
90%Approval rate · 20,821 approved or refused records
2,019Refused applications
18,802 approved · 2,019 refused · 1,420 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 30 Dec 1997 to 16 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 26 Oct 2026. Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.
Local planning information
Council sources checked 14 Sept 2026Planning information Planning & Building StandardsLocal plan Local Development Plan (LDP 1)Pre-application advice Pre-Application EnquiryConservation areas Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Scheduled Monuments
Council contacts
- Planning enquiriescustomer.service@westlothian.gov.ukCouncil source
Contact details were found on council pages. Check the source for opening hours and which enquiries the service handles.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions
Explore published planning boundaries and follow their source records for designation details. Coverage varies: an empty map does not mean there are no restrictions. Check the council’s current maps and documents before relying on a boundary.
Conservation areas10 mapped area records
Article 4 direction areasBoundary dataset not connected
Interactive planning map loads with JavaScript. Dataset sources are linked below.
Download Article 4 coverage for all authorities (CSV)
Data downloaded 14 Sept 2026. Display boundaries are simplified and indicative. Map record counts are not a complete count of designations or directions.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland. Contains Historic Environment Scotland and Ordnance Survey data © Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data is indicative and may not contain the latest designations.
More application records
- DecidedLIVE/0564/ARM/08
Approval of reserved matters for the erection of 45 houses and 42 flats with associated works
East Of Area H, Wester Inch, Bathgate
Received 4 Jun 2008 - DecidedLIVE/0616/FUL/08
Erection of a 5829sqm grain distillery, a 750sqm malt distillery, 2 no. double maturation warehouses totalling 7930sqm and ancillary buildings with associated works
Land To West Of Glen Turner, Starlaw Farm, Starlaw Road, Bathgate, EH47 7BW
Received 12 Jun 2008 - DecidedLIVE/0530/H/11
Installation of a dormer window (grid ref. 296854 668870)
44A Glasgow Road, Bathgate, EH48 2AG
Received 4 Aug 2011 - DecidedLIVE/1069/H/08
Demolition of a conservatory, extension to house and installation of a dormer
55A West Main Street, Uphall, EH52 5DR
Received 11 Nov 2008 - DecidedLIVE/0896/FUL/08
Formation of 24 new parking spaces and replacement landscaping
12 Dunnet Way, Broxburn, EH52 5NN
Received 12 Sept 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1089/H/08
Erection of a conservatory
97 Loch Maree Way, Whitburn, EH47 0RP
Received 5 Nov 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1181/H/08
Erection of a conservatory
22 Elmwood Park. Livingston
Received 16 Dec 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1165/AGR/08
Erection of a 167 sqm agricultural storage shed.
Taggs, Hartwood Mains, West Calder, EH55 8LE
Received 11 Dec 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1159/FUL/08
Construction of two playing fields with associated ground works including tree removal, relocation of play equipment, erection of fencing and replacement landscaping
Avondale Drive, Armadale
Received 28 Nov 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1098/H/08
Erection of a fence (in retrospect)
48 Westmuir Road, West Calder
Received 17 Nov 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1111/A/08
Erection of an illuminated fascia sign
Units 327 & 328, The Elements, Livingston
Received 20 Nov 2008 - DecidedLIVE/0894/FUL/08
Erection of a 1.2m high boundary fence
Burnvale, Almondvale, Livingston
Received 3 Sept 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1022/H/08
Alterations and installation of dormer windows and erection of a vestibule
36 Newpark Road, Bellsquarry, Livingston, EH54 9AE
Received 21 Oct 2008 - DecidedLIVE/0460/FUL/09
Formation of haulage yard with associated external storage, boundary fencing and vehicular access
Site At Whitrigg, East Whitburn
Received 26 May 2009 - DecidedLIVE/1123/A/08
Erection of various illuminated and non illuminated signage
The Saltire, Carmondean Centre, Livingston
Received 26 Nov 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1041/FUL/08
Change of use from house (Class 9) to childrens day nursery (Class 10a)
Mauricewood Gordon Avenue Bathgate West Lothian EH48 1BE
Received 10 Oct 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1016/H/08
Extensions to house and raising of roof to form first floor accommodation
Rowantree Cottage, Main Road, Bridgehouse, By Westfield, EH48 3DQ
Received 17 Oct 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1110/H/08
Extension to house
161 Spottiswoode Gardens, Mid Calder, EH53 0JY
Received 13 Nov 2008 - DecidedLIVE/0874/LBC/08
Listed building consent for the conversion of garage to form habitable room and installation of roof lights
East Wing, Skivo Farm House, Livingston
Received 3 Sept 2008 - DecidedLIVE/0933/H/08
Erection of a conservatory
3 Chapelton Place, Polbeth, EH55 8SL
Received 29 Sept 2008 - DecidedLIVE/0989/H/08
Erection of a porch
25 Polkemmet Road, Whitburn, EH47 0NZ
Received 13 Oct 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1103/FUL/08
Demolition of existing community centre and erection of a 370sqm community centre
Forestbank Community Centre, Forestbank, Ladywell, Livingston, EH54 6DX
Received 13 Nov 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1107/P/08
Outline planning permission for the erection of a house
Kenbog Farm, Armadale EH48 2HY
Received 20 Nov 2008 - DecidedLIVE/1063/H/08
Extension to house
3 Ochil Lane, Whitburn, EH47 0EL
Received 6 Nov 2008
Records are ordered by application ID, not submission date. Use search to find a particular address or proposal.
View all applicationsApplications by postcode area
Get emailed about new planning applications in West Lothian
Area alerts send a daily or weekly email with new applications and decisions near a postcode, filtered by project type. £29 a month, up to 3 areas. Records are limited to the councils we collect.
Set up an area alertResearching a proposal in West Lothian
Start with the address or application reference. Open a record to read the proposal, dates and available documents, then check the official register for the latest plans and consultation details. If nothing appears, check coverage before treating the result as a complete planning history.
Planning procedures in Scotland differ from those in England. Use the authority’s own guidance for application requirements, comments and decision timescales.
How to search planning applicationsGuides to planning records
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Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
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What these statistics cover
These figures describe applications collected by PlanningTrack for West Lothian, across all dates currently available. They are a partial dataset, rather than an authority-wide performance measure. The date range does not establish continuous historical coverage.
The approval percentage is approved records divided by approved plus refused records. Pending, withdrawn and unknown outcomes are excluded. No percentage is shown until there is an approved or refused record.
Check collection coverage