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 dates30,678Searchable applications
270Recorded as pending
91%Approval rate · 27,932 approved or refused records
2,460Refused applications
25,472 approved · 2,460 refused · 1,658 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 18 Feb 1993 to 23 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 31 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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/0264/FUL/03
Erection of a 38.5 sqm two storey extension to industrial unit
Unit 16 Nettlehill Road, Houstoun Industrial Estate, Livingston
Received 12 Mar 2003 - DecidedLIVE/0216/FUL/03
Erection of a house with garage and 454sqm of commercial stables and workshop
- East Torphin, (Land Adjacent To), Harburn
Received 13 Feb 2003 - DecidedLIVE/0230/FUL/03
Removal of condition 1, from approved planning application 0653/02
- Muirhall, (North British Distillery Co Ltd), Addiewell
Received 28 Feb 2003 - DecidedLIVE/0344/FUL/03
Installation of additional telecommunications antenna on existing 15m high roof top mast and ancilliary developments
Livingston Police Station Almondvale South, Almondvale, Livingston
Received 2 Apr 2003 - DecidedLIVE/1179/H/02
Two storey extension to house
22 Braid Green, Knightsridge, Livingston
Received 14 Nov 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0690/A/99
Erection of illuminated and non illuminated fascia signs
4D Grange Road, Houstoun Industrial Estate, Livingston
Received 6 Sept 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0596/FUL/99
Installation of an ATM cash machiine
Service Station Centre Road South, Almondvale, Livingston
Received 3 Aug 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0408/LBC/94
Listed Building Consent for alterations
Gowanbank Steading , Avonbridge, FK1 2JY
Received 1 Jun 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0643/A/96
Erection of illuminated signs
- Almondvale Centre, Almondvale, Livingston, EH54 6NB
Received 17 Jul 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0633/P/94
Outline planning permission for a house
7 Harburn, West Calder
Received 24 Aug 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0570/H/96
Erection of extensions to house
21 Main Street, Linlithgow Bridge
Received 28 Jun 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0481/H/96
Minor alterations to front roof to remove coomed ceiling
37 Main Street, Newton, EH52 6QE
Received 11 Jun 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0323/P/95
Outline planning permission for factory outlet (Class 1) including ancilliary restaurant (Class 3) and business use (Class 4)
Land At Pottishaw, Bathgate
Received 16 May 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0105/FUL/03
Erection of a 166sqm replacement office building (class 4)
Starlaw Cottage Starlaw Road, (Site Adjacent), Bathgate
Received 28 Jan 2003 - DecidedLIVE/1070/FUL/01
Part change of use of shopping mall to form additional licenced restaurant seating area
Units 2, 2A & 2B, Almondvale Designer Outlet Centre, Almondvale, Livingston
Received 8 Nov 2001 - DecidedLIVE/0991/LBC/02
Listed building consent for the conversion and restoration of former old academy building into 12 flats
- Marjoriebanks Street, Former West Lothian College, Bathgate
Received 12 Oct 2001 - DecidedLIVE/0998/NID/01
Erection of 472sqm extension (phase 3) to provide additional classrooms and nursery
Bellsquarry Primary School, Calder Road, Bellsquarry, Bellsquarry
Received 2 Nov 2001 - DecidedLIVE/0650/H/01
Erection of a conservatory
2 Kirkfield West, Livingston Village, Livingston
Received 20 Jul 2001 - DecidedLIVE/0556/LBC/01
Listed Building Consent for the installation of a velux window and the restoration of 6 no. first floor windows
The Schoolhouse, -, Kingscavil, Linlithgow
Received 20 Jun 2001 - DecidedLIVE/0506/H/99
Renewal of planning permission for extension to house
Forthview Cottage, Balmuir Bridge, New Road, Bathgate
Received 24 Jun 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0587/FUL/99
Upgrading of electrical & mechanical plant including the provision of new stormwater tanks and associated works
- Mill Road, Waste Water Treatment Works, Linlithgow
Received 29 Jul 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0773/ARM/99
Erection of a 1225 sqm food retail unit
West Lothian Courier Stadium, Alderstone Road, Almondvale, Livingston
Received 5 Oct 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0498/FUL/99
Erection of portacabins
26/1 Whitburn Road, The Down Yard, Bathgate
Received 22 Jun 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0766/NID/99
Erection of a children's play area
- Cameron Way, Knightsridge, Livingston
Received 1 Oct 1999
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