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 · 28,889 approved or refused records
2,544Refused applications
26,345 approved · 2,544 refused · 1,684 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 6 Jan 1992 to 4 Nov 2026. Most recent record check: 8 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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/0440/A/92
Erection of a signboard
39 The Mall, Craigshill, Livingston
Received 19 Jun 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0440/FUL/96
Erection of 22.5m tower, antennae, compound fence and installation of prefabricated cabin
Drumshoreland Road, Pumpherston, EH53 0LQ
Received 30 May 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0389/A/92
Erection of signs
25 Grange Road, Livingston
Received 28 May 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0389/FUL/95
Proposed porch
27 Belvedere Road, Bathgate, EH48 4AX
Received 1 Jun 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0389/FUL/94
Erection of a garage
17 Napier Avenue, Bathgate
Received 24 May 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0389/FUL/93
Extension to house
38 Bailielands, Linlithgow
Received 14 Jun 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0388/P/92
Outline planning permission for a house
44 Race Road, Bathgate, EH48 2AQ
Received 28 May 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0388/FUL/96
Alteration to shop front and installation of a fire escape door
2A Sycamore Walk, Blackburn
Received 13 May 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0388/FUL/95
Surface treatment to disused roadway
Braewell Road, Linlithgow Bridge
Received 30 May 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0388/FUL/94
Conversion of attic
58 Glasgow Road, Bathgate
Received 25 May 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0616/FUL/92
Erection of 14 houses
Northfield Meadows , Longridge
Received 25 Aug 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0615/H/96
Proposed extension
5 Parkwood Gardens, Broxburn, EH52 5RE
Received 10 Jul 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0615/FUL/95
Erection of a conservatory
21 Gleneagles Court, Whitburn, EH47 8PG
Received 17 Aug 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0615/FUL/94
Erection of a porch
Willisdale Upper Woodcockdale, Linlithgow
Received 17 Aug 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0340/FUL/93
Change of use to hot food takeaway shop
39 Main Street, West Calder
Received 26 May 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0340/FUL/92
Erection of taxi radio control office
37D West Main Street, Uphall
Received 7 May 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0339/H/96
Two storey house extension
25 Langton Gardens, East Calder
Received 29 Apr 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0339/FUL/95
Erection of a fence
21 Murieston Gardens, Livingston, EH54 9BA
Received 18 May 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0339/FUL/94
Extension to house
3 Norwood Court, Whitburn
Received 6 May 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0339/FUL/93
Proposed extension
West Calder Bowling Club Harburn Road, West Calder, EH55 8AH
Received 26 May 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0500/A/93
Erection of a hoarding
Platform 2 Linlithgow Station, Linlithgow
Received 16 Jul 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0500/H/96
Extension to house
16 Elm Park, Blackburn
Received 13 Jun 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0500/FUL/95
Change of use from video shop to cafe
111 Main Street, East Calder
Received 13 Jul 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0678/FUL/95
Provision of six serviced house plots
Elizabeth Gardens, Stoneyburn
Received 13 Sept 1995
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