Planning guidance and background information supporting the West Lothian Local Development Plan 2018 (LDP 1)
There is a comprehensive suite of statutory and non-statutory planning guidance supporting the Adopted West Lothian Local Development Plan.
Guidance enables the council to expand upon the policies and proposals contained within the LDP and provide more detail. The process of preparing planning guidance includes an element of public consultation which presents the opportunity for anyone who may wish to make comment to do so. Representations submitted to the council are acknowledged and reported to elected members and are taken into account before the guidance is finalised and adopted.
Planning Guidance
Planning guidance provides additional detail on specific subject areas and explains how planning policies will be implemented. It is produced as either 'statutory' supplementary guidance (SG) or 'non-statutory' planning guidance (PG).
Statutory SG must have been referenced within the Local Development Plan, gone through consultation and approved by Scottish Ministers. Once adopted, SG has statutory weight in the determination of planning applications and forms part of the plan.
Non-statutory PG is not subject to approval by Scottish Ministers and is not part of the development plan. As a consequence it does not have the same weight as SG but is nonetheless a 'material consideration' when deciding planning applications.
As a consequence of National Planning Framework 4 having been adopted on 13 February 2023, local planning authorities can only prepare and adopt (statutory) supplementary guidance associated with LDPs until 31 March 2025. The preparation and adoption of non-statutory planning guidance is however not affected and can continue to be brought forward until LDP 1 has been superseded.
Adopted guidance
Drafted guidance (pending adoption)
A suite of 'Supplementary Planning Guidance - SPG' was previously prepared to support the West Lothian Local Plan 2009 (WLLP). When the WLLP was replaced in September 2018 by the West Lothian Local Development Plan (LDP 1) these SPGs ceased to have formal status but they nevertheless remain material considerations until replaced and can be viewed under the tab 'Archived Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG)' at Superseded West Lothian Local Plan 2009 (WLLP) .
Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Screening
Background Information
If you have any questions relating to planning guidance, SEA Screening, background information or just want to provide feedback and comments on our service, please email the Development Planning & Environment team at wlldp@westlothian.gov.uk (opens new window). You can also write to us at Development Planning & Environment, West Lothian Civic Centre, Howden South Road, Livingston, West Lothian EH54 6FF.
This page was last updated: 13 February 2023
