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 dates31,669Searchable applications
269Recorded as pending
91%Approval rate · 28,885 approved or refused records
2,540Refused applications
26,345 approved · 2,540 refused · 1,684 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 6 Jan 1992 to 29 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 5 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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/0565/H/98
Erection of garage and conservatory
Braemore, Marjoribanks Street, Bathgate
Received 23 Jun 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0529/FUL/98
Change of use to incorporate tree strip into garden
3,5,11 & 18 Byreside, Seafield
Received 23 Jun 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0261/H/98
Erection of conservatory
2 Queens Road, Broxburn
Received 2 Apr 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0439/A/98
Erection of a signboard (in retrospect)
The Firs, Langside Gardens, Polbeth
Received 2 Apr 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0260/H/98
Extension to house
50 Braekirk Avenue, Kirknewton
Received 2 Apr 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0257/FUL/98
Erection of a house and associated outbuildings
Plot 7 Woodbank Crofts, Westfield
Received 2 Apr 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0256/H/98
Erection of a garage
1 Harburn Road, West Calder
Received 2 Apr 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0253/FUL/98
Alterations and extension to Health Centre
- Carmondean Centre Road, Carmondean, Livingston
Received 1 Apr 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0373/FUL/98
Erection of a gas governor
28 Firth Road, Houston Industrial Estate, Livingston
Received 1 Apr 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0427/FUL/99
Substitution of house type
Plot 21 Kingfisher Rise, Hawthorn Bank, Seafield
Received 27 May 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0422/A/99
Erection of illuminated free standing and building mounted signs
- Alba Campus, Livingston
Received 27 May 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0005/H/99
Replacement of garage door with window unit
10 St Magdalenes, Linlithgow
Received 11 Jan 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0002/H/99
Erection of a conservatory
2 Hamilton Park, Linlithgow
Received 11 Jan 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0006/H/99
Erection of a conservatory
30 Corston Park, Craigshill, Livingston
Received 11 Jan 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0016/FUL/99
Change of use and alterations to vacant shop to form vehicle repair workshop
138 West Main Street, Whitburn
Received 11 Jan 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0026/A/99
Erection of a signboard
- Bridgend Court, Bathgate
Received 11 Jan 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0012/LBC/99
Listed building consent and planning permission for sub-division into 3 shop units
11-19 Main Street, West Calder
Received 11 Jan 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0846/FUL/98
Alterations and change of use from chip shop to cafe
8 West Main Street, Whitburn
Received 2 Oct 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0832/FUL/98
Erection of a boundary retaining wall & screen fence
- West Main Street, Filling Station, Whitburn
Received 2 Oct 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0806/FUL/98
Change of use from shop premises to office for accounting and business services
276B High Street, Linlithgow
Received 2 Oct 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0728/H/98
Erection of a conservatory
104 East Bankton Place, Murieston, Livingston
Received 7 Sept 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0493/LBC/98
Alterations and remedial work to courtyard involving relaying flagstones, provision of drainage & waterproofing over cellar
- Calderbank House, Pumpherston Road, Mid Calder
Received 15 Jun 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0801/FUL/99
Erection of sales canopy, valet shop and staff facilities building
- Carmondean Centre Road, Deans, Livingston
Received 14 Oct 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0802/H/99
Extension to house
16 Ochiltree Court, Mid Calder
Received 14 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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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