Planning & Development Control

Development Planning

The Development Planning & Environment grouping is responsible for the preparation and review of the development plan for West Lothian. It is also responsible for environment strategy, action plan and access strategy, with the lead role on Health Enhancing Physical Activity (HEPA), the Water Framework Directive and the Central Scotland Forest Initiative. 

Development Planning is responsible for:

• preparation of development briefs for both council and privately owned sites;
• implementation of local plan and other proposals to improve the West Lothian economy and environment;
• providers of strategic policy advice on planning applications and pre-application development proposals;
• implementation of allocated projects from the service unit's capital programme and revenue budget;
• advice on issues affecting conservation areas, listed buildings and ancient monuments;
• implementation of the council's contaminated land strategy.

Planning Permission

Before development can be carried out it is necessary to check whether or not planning permission is required.

Most things that involve either construction work or changing the main use of a building or piece of land will need planning permission.

Once you have established that your proposal requires planning permission you should submit an application. The necessary forms are available on our website together with guidance notes to help you complete them correctly.

When you submit an application we register it, assess it, consult other organisations (like the Environment Agency) and the public and then make a decision. Decisions about straightforward planning applications are made by the Head of the Planning Service, under the Council's scheme of delegation.

The Planning Committee makes decisions about major or controversial applications.
 
You can download lists of all the applications registered each week.

Contact Details
Telephone - 01506 775231
Fax - 01506 775265
Email - planning@westlothian.gov.uk
Address - Development Planning and Environment, County Buildings, High Street, Linlithgow, EH49 7EZ.

Colin Miller, Development Planning Manager, 01506 775216 colin.miller@westlothian.gov.uk
Chris Alcorn, Principal Planner, 01506 775274 chris.alcorn@westlothian.gov.uk