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26,348 approved · 2,542 refused · 1,684 withdrawn.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: 7 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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/0928/FUL/96
Erection of four non-food retail units, garden centre and associated car park
18-20 Whitburn Road, Bathgate Retail Park, Bathgate
Received 23 Oct 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0927/H/96
Erection of a conservatory
65 Beechwood, Linlithgow
Received 17 Oct 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0927/FUL/94
Change of use and alterations to form a house
31 East Main Street, Broxburn, EH54 5PH
Received 12 Dec 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0679/FUL/93
Installation of a port-a-cabin
South Church East Main Street, Uphall
Received 29 Sept 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0628/FUL/96
Erection of a kennel building, puppy kennel and sluice house
Bentyhead, Hartwood Road, Rescue Centre, West Calder
Received 15 Jul 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0628/FUL/95
Demolition and re-building of extension to house
66 South Street, Armadale, EH48 3EY
Received 24 Aug 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0699/FUL/94
Renovation of flatted dwelling
57 Main Street, Fauldhouse, EH47 9HY
Received 22 Sept 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0699/FUL/92
Erection of a garage
7 Burnside Road, Polbeth
Received 30 Sept 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0698/P/95
Outline planning permission for rehabilitation of outbuilding to form a house
Brunton Farm , Torphichen
Received 20 Sept 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0688/P/92
Outline planning permission for a residential development
Site At Belvedere Road, Bathgate
Received 24 Sept 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0688/H/96
Extension to house
86 Lennox Gardens, Linlithgow
Received 1 Aug 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0688/A/94
Erection of signboard
Oakbank , East Calder
Received 19 Sept 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0688/FUL/95
Erection of a garage and porch
18 Firbank Grove, East Calder
Received 14 Sept 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0688/FUL/93
Conversion and heightening of roof
80 Baronshill Avenue, Linlithgow
Received 30 Sept 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0687/P/95
Erection of a house
13 Craigs Court, Torphichen, EH48 4NU
Received 14 Sept 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0687/A/94
Erection of various wall mounted signs
39 The Mall, Craigshill, Livingston
Received 19 Sept 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0687/H/96
Erection of a 1.8m high fence
3 Bankton Way, Livingston
Received 1 Aug 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0687/FUL/93
Formation of an all terrain driving track
Wester Woodside Farm , Linlithgow, EH49 6QE
Received 30 Sept 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0456/H/96
Installation of dormer windows
36 Friars Brae, Linlithgow
Received 4 Jun 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0456/FUL/94
Extension to rear of house
45 The Green, Bathgate
Received 22 Jun 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0456/FUL/93
Change of use of land to golf driving range with access and car parking
Kingsfield , Linlithgow
Received 6 Jul 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0455/A/93
Proposed signs
Glenmavis Garage Linlithgow Road, Bathgate, EH48 4LA
Received 6 Jul 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0455/FUL/96
Minor alterations to form new trade shop, works include new entrance door and screen
Avonmill Industrial Estate Mill Road, Linlithgow Bridge, EH49 7QJ
Received 30 May 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0443/H/96
Erection of a porch and a conservatory
60 Beechwwod Grove, Uphall Station
Received 30 May 1996
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
All planning guides
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Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
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