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 dates19,563Searchable applications
272Recorded as pending
90%Approval rate · 17,281 approved or refused records
1,778Refused applications
15,503 approved · 1,778 refused · 1,257 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 6 Mar 2001 to 16 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 23 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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/0820/LBC/11
Listed building consent for alterations to gatehouse (grid ref. 305541 671572)
Gate House, Houstoun House Hotel, Uphall, West Lothian, EH52 6JS
Received 21 Nov 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0434/FUL/11
Change of use from agricultural storage shed and adjacent land to open caravan storage area (Class 6) and workshop (class 5) (grid ref. 294913 661540)
Northfield Nurseries, Fauldhouse, EH47 9AA
Received 31 May 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0632/H/11
Formation of decking (in retrospect) (grid ref. 298420 668746)
46 Glenbare Court, Bathgate, EH48 1DR
Received 20 Sept 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0522/FUL/11
Change of use from open space to private garden ground (grid ref 292890 668781)
Land At 4 Glenwood Drive, Armadale
Received 3 Aug 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0677/FUL/11
Removal of Condition 3 of planning permission 0497/FUL/07 to allow for the installation of cooking equipment and an extraction system (grid ref. 308373 672242)
79 East Main Street, Broxburn, EH52 5EE
Received 10 Oct 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0736/FUL/11
Change of use from class 4 business use to form a vehicle dismantling, crushing and recycling facility, including the formation of a yard with security fencing (grid ref. 301142 664375)
Unit B, Five Sisters Business Park, Westwood, West Calder, EH55 8PN
Received 13 Oct 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0613/H/11
Erection of childrens tree house (grid ref. 295932 668519)
1A Sibbalds Brae, Bathgate, EH48 2DU
Received 8 Sept 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0290/FUL/12
Erection of a 744sqm extension to warehouse including office area
Oakbank Park Place, Livingston
Received 16 Apr 2012 - DecidedLIVE/0538/FUL/11
Change of use from forestry shed to livery stables, siting of container for toilet facilities and temporary siting of one residential caravan (in retrospect) (grid ref. 294564 662053)
Northfield Farm, Longridge EH47 9AA
Received 3 Aug 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0731/FUL/11
Footpath improvements, closure of redundant access points, erection of bollards, fencing, entrance feature, installation of seating and formation of a BMX track (grid ref. 308513 672695)
Stewartfield Park, Broxburn
Received 6 Oct 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0751/FUL/11
Installation of roller shutters (in retrospect) (Grid Ref 296087 665177).
The Gothenburg Convenience Store, Main Street, East Whitburn, EH47 0JB
Received 10 Nov 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0424/EIA/12
EIA screening opinion for a 78m high (to blade tip) wind turbine (Grid Ref 292311 658427)
Muldron Farm, Fauldhouse, EH47 9AF
Received 25 Jun 2012 - DecidedLIVE/0452/FUL/12
Change of use to form a beer garden (grid ref. 306369 671958)
Volunteer Arms, 103-105 East Main Street, Uphall, EH52 5JA
Received 25 Jun 2012 - DecidedLIVE/0583/H/11
Erection of an outbuilding (grid ref 305918 665350)
27 Wester Bankton, Murieston, Livingston, EH54 9DX
Received 25 Aug 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0687/LBC/11
Listed building consent for the installation of solar panels (grid ref. 299581 675849)
Preston House, Preston Road, Linlithgow EH49 6QW
Received 4 Oct 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0461/H/11
Extension to house (grid ref. 303780 667607)
27 Ballantyne Place, Eliburn, Livingston, EH54 6TG
Received 30 Jun 2011 - UnknownLIVE/0685/FUL/11
Erection of a house (Grid Ref. 302987 664242).
16 Polbeth Avenue, Polbeth, EH55 8TZ
Received 12 Oct 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0761/FUL/11
Change of use from public house to restaurant (Class 3) and external alterations (Grid Ref 297613 668988).
Glens Bar, 4 Mid Street, Bathgate, EH48 1PR
Received 15 Nov 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0587/FUL/11
Alterations to multi storey car park to provide additional exit lane (grid ref. 304832 666593)
McArthur Glen Designer Outlet, Almondvale Avenue, Almondvale, Livingston, EH54 6QX
Received 18 Aug 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0650/FUL/11
Proposed new smoking area (grid ref. 297415 669106)
41 Livery Street, Bathgate, EH48 4HS
Received 19 Sept 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0725/MSC/11
Application for approval of matters specified in conditions of consent 0351/FUL/10 for the erection of a house (grid ref. 302684 663742)
Plot 1, Chapelton Cottage, Polbeth
Received 26 Oct 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0538/FUL/09
Erection of a house
1 Hens Nest Road, East Whitburn, EH47 8EX
Received 9 Jul 2009 - DecidedLIVE/0804/H/11
Extension to house (grid ref. 299238 665561)
33 Graham Court, Blackburn, EH47 7BT
Received 24 Oct 2011 - DecidedLIVE/0646/H/11
Extension to house (grid ref. 308497 666955)
4 Beechbank Crescent, East Calder, EH53 0DX
Received 19 Sept 2011
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.
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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