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 dates31,663Searchable applications
270Recorded as pending
91%Approval rate · 28,879 approved or refused records
2,538Refused applications
26,341 approved · 2,538 refused · 1,684 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 6 Jan 1992 to 23 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 2 Nov 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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/0589/P/02
Outline planning permission for a 1ha hotel/leisure development
- Houston Road, Eliburn, Livingston
Received 11 Mar 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0187/H/02
Extension to house and erection of garage
73 Hopefield Road Blackburn Bathgate West Lothian EH47 7HT
Received 19 Feb 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0182/H/02
First floor extension to house
23 Sheriffs Park Linlithgow West Lothian EH49 7SR
Received 18 Feb 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0181/H/02
Two storey extension to house
22 Murraysgate Crescent Whitburn Bathgate West Lothian EH47 0QJ
Received 18 Feb 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0459/H/02
Erection of a conservatory
2 Millfield, Kirkton, Livingston
Received 18 Feb 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0100/FUL/02
Extension of acoustic barrier
- East Main Street, Broxburn
Received 4 Feb 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0134/H/02
Erection of a conservatory and 2.1m high garden wall
12 The Avenue, Philpstoun
Received 4 Feb 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0128/H/02
Erection of a conservatory
66 Jubilee Avenue, Deans, Livingston
Received 4 Feb 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0562/A/02
Erection of a freestanding signboard (in retrospect)
Binny Estate, Ecclesmachan Road, Ecclesmachan
Received 20 May 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0726/H/02
Upgrading of property including re-roughcasting, new rainwater goods, balcony ballastrade and timber decking
Waterdale, St Ninian's Road, Linlithgow
Received 21 Jun 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0715/FUL/02
Sub-division of retail unit, formation of new entrance and change of use from shop (Class 1) to financial, professional & other services and business use (Class 2 and 4)
34 West Main Street, Whitburn
Received 21 Jun 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0827/FUL/02
Erection of a 2 storey extension to house
28 Greenside, Torphichen
Received 31 Jul 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0828/FUL/02
Class 5 Demolition Contractors Yard with salvage and recycling centre
- Pottishaw Place, Whitehill Industrial Estate, Bathgate
Received 30 Jul 2002 - DecidedLIVE/1142/FUL/02
Erection of 2No. 150 sqm agricultural sheds for storage and cattle
Craigallen Holding -, Armadale
Received 16 Oct 2002 - DecidedLIVE/1064/FUL/02
Erection of 56 flats in 3no. four storey blocks
Almondview Almondvale, Livingston
Received 16 Oct 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0980/H/02
Erection of a garage
'The Steading', Brunton Farm, Torphichen
Received 19 Sept 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0981/FUL/02
Alterations to shop front including repainting, installation of fascia panel and external lighting
98 High Street, Linlithgow
Received 19 Sept 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0983/H/02
Erection of a garage
8 Beechwood Park, Deans, Livingston
Received 19 Sept 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0942/FUL/02
Erection of a house with garage
Plot 61 Heatherwood Estate, Seafield
Received 26 Aug 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0906/FUL/02
Erection of a 436 sqm vehicle hire depot
- East Mains Industrial Estate, Broxburn
Received 26 Aug 2002 - DecidedLIVE/0428/A/03
Installation of illuminated ATM collar surround
3 The Vennel, Linlithgow
Received 17 Apr 2003 - DecidedLIVE/0414/H/03
Erection of a garage
10 Orchard Place, Livingston
Received 16 Apr 2003 - DecidedLIVE/0438/H/03
Erection of a conservatory
50 Craigenar Avenue, Uphall
Received 16 Apr 2003 - DecidedLIVE/0422/H/02
Extensions to house
8 Norwood Court, Whitburn
Received 15 Apr 2002
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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Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
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Planning approval rates: how to read council statistics
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