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 dates31,672Searchable applications
266Recorded as pending
91%Approval rate · 28,890 approved or refused records
2,542Refused applications
26,348 approved · 2,542 refused · 1,684 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 6 Jan 1992 to 30 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 6 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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/0084/H/99
Extension to house
11 Kepscaith Crescent, Whitburn
Received 10 Feb 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0091/A/99
Erection of a double sided, free standing advertising display unit (in retrospect)
48 Main Street, Stoneyburn
Received 10 Feb 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0094/FUL/99
Substitution of house types on plots 40-60, 65-67 and 79-83
- Birkdale Park, Armadale
Received 10 Feb 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0093/FUL/99
Erection of 36 houses and associated parking
- Oldwood Place, Eliburn, Livingston
Received 10 Feb 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0086/FUL/99
Erection of 4 industrial units
- Dunlop Square, Deans Industrial Estate, Livingston
Received 9 Feb 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0136/FUL/99
Erection of a new college campus including education, training, licensed facilities, research, recreation, associated services and related ancillary facilities
- Almondvale Boulevard, Almondvale, Livingston
Received 24 Feb 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0141/A/99
Erection of timber hoarding to Blackburn Rd, temporary signboards for development and building and car park directional signage
4 Blackburn Road, Bathgate
Received 24 Feb 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0140/A/99
Erection of an illuminated fascia sign and double sided projecting sign
93 South Bridge Street, Bathgate
Received 24 Feb 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0138/FUL/99
Conversion of outbuilding to form a house
Coille-Mhor Houston Mains Holdings, Uphall
Received 24 Feb 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0211/FUL/98
Change of use from retail to private day care nursery
- Carmondean Centre Road South, Carmondean, Livingston
Received 16 Mar 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0198/FUL/98
Extension of existing motorist centre
- Carmondean Centre South, Carmondean, Livingston
Received 16 Mar 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0194/FUL/98
Erection of a house
15 Millrigg, Kirknewton
Received 13 Mar 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0449/H/98
Erection of a conservatory
2 Louvain Gardens, Armadale
Received 13 Mar 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0196/H/98
Extension to house
148 Glenalmond Whitburn Bathgate West Lothian EH47 8NS
Received 13 Mar 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0197/H/98
Installation of a dormer
4 Wilson Terrace, Bents, Stoneyburn
Received 13 Mar 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0642/FUL/98
Erection of house with garage
5 Hardhill Road, Bathgate
Received 4 Aug 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0649/A/98
Erection of a free standing signboard
1 Bathgate Road, East Mains Freight Centre, Armadale
Received 4 Aug 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0651/H/98
Erection of a conservatory
46A Mains Road, Linlithgow
Received 4 Aug 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0630/FUL/98
Change of use from office to house and extension to house
Birdsmill Cottage, Birdsmill, Broxburn
Received 31 Jul 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0971/FUL/98
Erection of a house with garage
Plot 4 The Fieldings, Hens Nest Road, East Whitburn
Received 9 Dec 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0972/H/98
Erection of a conservatory
19 Springfield Court, Linlithgow
Received 9 Dec 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0311/FUL/99
Installation of new shop front and trolley bays
Unit 3, Whitburn Road, Bathgate Retail Park, Bathgate
Received 23 Apr 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0303/NID/99
Installation of external insulated cladding with render finish
- Chapelton Drive, Polbeth
Received 22 Apr 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0309/FUL/99
Erection of 12 No. flats
Phase 4, Area 5C Deer Park, Knightsridge, Livingston
Received 22 Apr 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