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26,345 approved · 2,544 refused · 1,684 withdrawn.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: 9 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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/0048/FUL/95
Alteration and change of use from office to house
Muirhouse Dykes Mains , Loganlea
Received 26 Jan 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0048/FUL/94
Erection of a conservatory
21 Mansefield, East Calder
Received 28 Jan 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0048/FUL/93
Extension to house
27 Galabraes Crescent, Bathgate
Received 29 Jan 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0048/FUL/92
Erection of a dormer and balcony
220 Main Street, East Calder
Received 28 Jan 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0047/H/97
Extension to house
2 Westcraigs Road, Blackridge
Received 27 Jan 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0047/A/93
Erection of fascia sign
57/63 South Bridge Street, Bathgate
Received 29 Jan 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0047/FUL/96
Erection of a house
Plot 4 Elizabeth Gardens, Stoneyburn
Received 25 Jan 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0047/FUL/95
Erection of a steel portal framed storage building
New Calder Paper Mills , Livingston, EH54 6DA
Received 26 Jan 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0047/FUL/94
Erection of LPG tank, replacement windows and construction of car park
Bridgehouse Community Hall Main Street, Bridgehouse
Received 28 Jan 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0084/M/96
Extension to property
7 Hazel Grove, Livingston
Received 12 Feb 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0098/H/97
Erection of porch
14 Yule Terrace, Blackburn, EH47 7WN
Received 14 Feb 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0098/FUL/96
Alterations to shop front
27 George Street, Bathgate, EH48 1PG
Received 16 Feb 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0076/FUL/95
Proposed re-roofing of existing flat roof with pitched roof
56 Torbane Drive, East Whitburn, EH47 Ojt
Received 9 Feb 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0076/FUL/94
Erection of rear extension
4 Willowdene, Bridgend
Received 14 Feb 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0076/FUL/92
Extensions to cottage
Greenmeadow Cottage , Bridgecastle, EH48 3DN
Received 6 Feb 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0075/P/93
Outline planning permission for a house
Hillview Cathlaw Lane, Torphichen
Received 11 Feb 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0075/A/94
Erection of signs
The Mall Craigshill, Livingston
Received 14 Feb 1994 - DecidedLIVE/0075/FUL/97
Erection of water treatment plant including housing building and levelling tank
East Main Street, Broxburn
Received 7 Feb 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0075/FUL/96
Change of use to provide 10 unit touring caravan site
The New Inn Auldhill Road, Bridgend
Received 8 Feb 1996 - DecidedLIVE/0075/FUL/95
Erection of a house and garage
Plot 8 Manse Grove, Stoneyburn
Received 7 Feb 1995 - DecidedLIVE/0075/FUL/92
Erection of storm porch
40 Pilgrims Hill, Linlithgow, EH49 7LW
Received 6 Feb 1992 - DecidedLIVE/0066/FUL/93
Retrospective application for commercial vehicle sales, repairs and breaking
Hillside Garage Main Street, Longridge, EH47 8AN
Received 8 Feb 1993 - DecidedLIVE/0033/NID/97
Demolition of Public toilets and installation of Automatic Public Convenience
The Mall, Livingston
Received 22 Jan 1997 - DecidedLIVE/0033/FUL/96
Change of use from residential use to hotel accommodation
West End Hotel Main Street, West Calder
Received 18 Jan 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
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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