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 dates31,683Searchable applications
275Recorded as pending
91%Approval rate · 28,892 approved or refused records
2,543Refused applications
26,349 approved · 2,543 refused · 1,684 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 6 Jan 1992 to 4 Nov 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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/0960/FUL/97
Formation of outdoor riding arena
Loch House Farm -, Linlithgow, EH49 7RG
Received 16 Dec 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0959/FUL/97
Erection of 65 two storey houses and associated works
Little Boghead, Bridgend Park, Bathgate
Received 16 Dec 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0957/FUL/97
Change of use from open space to garden ground and erection of a 1.8m high fence (in retrospect)
71 Whitelaw Drive, Bathgate
Received 16 Dec 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0955/H/97
Erection of a double garage
93 Muir Road, Bathgate
Received 15 Dec 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0857/A/98
Erection of 2 illuminated single sided, free standing advertising display units (in retrospect)
93 Main Street, Stoneyburn
Received 20 Oct 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0901/FUL/98
Erection of 111 houses and associated roads & parking
- Blaeberryhill Road, Whitburn 4, Whitburn
Received 20 Oct 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0625/FUL/98
Erection of implement shed
- The Willows, Camps Industrial Estate, East Calder
Received 29 Jul 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0073/H/98
Erection of a conservatory
2 Murieston Green, Murieston, Livingston
Received 3 Feb 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0090/FUL/98
Change of use from Class 1 (shops) to Class 2 (financial professional & other services)
23 West Main Street, Uphall
Received 2 Feb 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0065/H/98
Extension to house
181 Riddochhill Road, Blackburn
Received 2 Feb 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0066/FUL/98
Installation of a 1.8m satellite antenna and screen fence
- Starlaw Road, Bathgate
Received 2 Feb 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0095/LBC/98
Listed building consent and planning permission for the formation of dormer windows and alterations to window openings
Murieston House, Murieston Mews, Murieston, Livingston
Received 30 Jan 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0064/H/98
Extension to house
8 Beechwood Park, Deans, Livingston
Received 30 Jan 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0063/FUL/98
Erection of 40 houses and associated works
- Balmuir/Belvedere Road, Bathgate
Received 30 Jan 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0908/H/98
Installation of replacement windows
42 West Burnside, Broxburn
Received 10 Nov 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0909/H/98
Extension to house and installation of a dormer
Hillend Farm -, Ecclesmachan
Received 10 Nov 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0923/FUL/98
Erection of a house with Bed & Breakfast facility
Westerwood, Wallhouse, Torphichen
Received 10 Nov 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0907/FUL/98
Erection of two semi-detached houses with support accommodation for adults with physical and/or mental disabilities
8-10 Gideon Street, Bathgate
Received 9 Nov 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0905/H/98
Installation of replacement windows and door
14 Smithy Brae, Kirknewton
Received 9 Nov 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0844/H/98
Erection of a garage and car port
Rockville Lodge, Manse Road, Linlithgow, EH49 6AJ
Received 16 Oct 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0843/FUL/98
Erection of single storey extension
Unit 48 Almondvale Centre, Almondvale, Livingston
Received 16 Oct 1998 - DecidedLIVE/0647/FUL/92
Erection of a house
Site At Redhouse Road, Seafield
Received 8 Sept 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0646/LBC/92
Listed Building Consent and planning permission for proposed change of use to hot food carry out
Star & Garter Hotel High Street, Linlithgow
Received 7 Sept 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0646/LBC/93
Listed Building Consent and advert consent for proposed signs
Brucefield Farm Brucefield Industrial Estate, Bellsquarry
Received 15 Sept 1993
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
Understanding planning · 13 min read
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.
UK researchPublished Updated
Property research · 13 min read
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.
UK researchPublished Updated
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