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26,348 approved · 2,542 refused · 1,684 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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/0847/H/97
Erection of a conservatory
41 Napier Avenue, Bathgate
Received 29 Oct 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0832/H/97
Erection of a conservatory
Cauthor Ha, Gavieside, West Calder
Received 29 Oct 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0344/FUL/98
Erection of 5 houses and 40 flats
Site At Barkhill Road, Linlithgow
Received 16 Apr 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0312/FUL/98
Erection of 3 houses with garages
Westfield Site, Station Road, Philpstoun
Received 16 Apr 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0304/FUL/98
Erection of a house
Plot 14 Willow Park, Fauldhouse
Received 16 Apr 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0057/A/98
Erection of a free standing sign board
Calderview, A71, Breich Crossroads, Breich
Received 16 Jan 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0852/H/97
Extension to house
86 Pumpherston Road, Uphall Station
Received 28 Oct 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0830/FUL/97
Erection of a house and garage
Plot 9 The Fieldings, Hens Nest Road, East Whitburn
Received 27 Oct 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0844/P/97
Outline permission for conversion of granary to a house
The Granary, Hartwood Mains, West Calder
Received 27 Oct 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0840/FUL/97
Conversion of outbuildings to form 2 houses with swimming pool
78 West Main Street, Broxburn
Received 27 Oct 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0824/FUL/97
Substitution of house type
Plot 19 Newlands (Birchwood Grange), Ritchie Camp, Kirknewton
Received 27 Oct 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0848/FUL/97
Change of use from public open space to private garden ground and erection of a garage & family room
41 Wood Place, Eliburn, Livingston
Received 24 Oct 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0826/H/97
Extension to house and installation of dormers
1 Manse Road, Torphichen
Received 24 Oct 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0459/H/99
Installation of dormers & bay window and alterations to house
12A Preston Park, Linlithgow
Received 9 Jun 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0455/H/99
Reinstate dormer window heads on south elevation and rebuild south wallhead chimney head in stone
Ochiltree Castle -, Linlithgow
Received 9 Jun 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0456/FUL/99
Erection of 2 No. factory units
- Grange Road, Houstoun Industrial Estate, Livingston
Received 8 Jun 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0457/FUL/99
Erection of workshops with associated stores and offices
- Caputhall Road, Deans Industrial Estate, Livingston
Received 8 Jun 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0462/FUL/99
Refurbishment of existing licensed premises to form a wine and food bar, retention of existing first floor flat and new 2 storey rear extension
36-40 Hopetoun Street, Bathgate
Received 28 Apr 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0342/H/99
Extension to house
67 Empire Street, Whitburn
Received 7 May 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0343/H/99
Erection of an 80cm sattelite dish
25 Gloag Place, West Calder
Received 6 May 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0344/H/99
Erection of a conservatory
6 Braekirk Avenue, Kirknewton
Received 6 May 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0393/H/99
Change of use from public parking bay to private driveway
5 Murraysgate Crescent, Whitburn
Received 6 May 1999 - DecidedLIVE/0552/FUL/98
Erection of five houses
- Meadowhead Crescent, Addiebrownhill, Addiewell
Received 3 Jul 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0535/FUL/98
Erection of eight semi-detached houses
Site At Hawthorn Bank, Seafield
Received 3 Jul 1998
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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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