West Lothian Council approves 90.7% of planning applications, based on 13,423 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. West Lothian sits 2.8 percentage points above the national average.
Enter your postcode for a personalised approval likelihood score — based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in West Lothian.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 12,179 | 1,244 | 13,423 | 90.7% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linlithgow | 2,520 | 218 | 2,738 | 92.0% |
| East Livingston & East Calder | 1,494 | 171 | 1,665 | 89.7% |
| Broxburn, Uphall & Winchburgh | 1,508 | 152 | 1,660 | 90.8% |
| Livingston South | 1,361 | 91 | 1,452 | 93.7% |
| Bathgate | 1,165 | 135 | 1,300 | 89.6% |
| Fauldhouse & The Breich Valley | 1,159 | 122 | 1,281 | 90.5% |
| Armadale & Blackridge | 1,064 | 141 | 1,205 | 88.3% |
| Whitburn & Blackburn | 1,079 | 126 | 1,205 | 89.5% |
| Livingston North | 814 | 86 | 900 | 90.4% |
| Blank Field | 11 | 1 | 12 | 91.7% |
Real residential planning decisions from West Lothian council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 0077/H/26 Whitburn & Blackburn | Extension to house | Approved |
| 0075/H/26 Whitburn & Blackburn | Extension to house | Approved |
| 0067/H/26 Bathgate | Erection of a single storey garage to side of house | Approved |
| 0060/H/26 Linlithgow | Replacement of front door | Approved |
| 0054/H/26 Whitburn & Blackburn | Extension to house and installation of decking | Approved |
| 0055/H/26 Fauldhouse & The Breich Valley | Extension to house | Approved |
| 0045/H/26 East Livingston & East Calder | Extension to house and alterations to annex | Approved |
| 0036/H/26 Broxburn, Uphall & Winchburgh | Raising height of garage roof, installation of access ramp and internal alterati | Approved |
| 0037/H/26 East Livingston & East Calder | Erection of two garden structures (in retrospect) | Approved |
| 0033/H/26 Fauldhouse & The Breich Valley | Extension to house | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your Pro Report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on West Lothian's 13,423 real decisions. Delivered by email in minutes.
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Dig deeper into West Lothian's planning statistics — by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Based on 13,423 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in West Lothian is 90.7%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 87.9%. However, rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 13,423 planning decisions from West Lothian council. 12,179 were approved and 1,244 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in West Lothian is 90.7%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the PlanningLens free postcode check to get a personalised score.