West Lothian Council has taken a significant step forward in shaping the future development of the area, having approved the submission of its Evidence Report for the new Local Development Plan (LDP2) to the Scottish Government.

This marks a key milestone in the early stages of preparing the comprehensive plan, which will guide development within West Lothian for a ten-year period once adopted.

Being prepared under the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, LDP2 will address a wide array of policy issues and determine where and how future development can take place while also ensuring environmental protection. The Evidence Report is the initial phase of this process, designed to gather and present the robust data necessary to inform a deliverable, place-based, and people-focused plan. The preparation of this report spanned from October 2023 to May 2025, involving extensive engagement with key agencies and local communities.

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Following its approval by West Lothian Council, the Evidence Report will now undergo a "gate check" by Scottish Ministers. During this assessment, a reporter from the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) will evaluate whether the report contains sufficient evidence to enable the council to proceed with preparing the full plan.

Once the Evidence Report successfully passes this gate check process, a draft LDP2 Plan will be prepared for formal consultation and engagement with the public.

A spokesperson for West Lothian Council expressed gratitude for the community's input: "We would like to thank everyone who engaged in the process that has enabled planning officers to prepare this evidence report. It is important to stress this is an early point in the process of creating a new Local Development Plan for West Lothian."

They added: "Following approval from Full Council, the evidence report will now be submitted to Scottish Ministers. Completion of this gate check process will then allow planning officers to prepare the first draft of the new local development plan for West Lothian. This process will once again require extensive engagement with key stakeholders and local communities and the council will once again be calling on members of the public to participate. Details of how you can get involved will be shared in due course."

This rigorous process is designed to ensure that the final LDP2 is built on sound data and reflects the needs and aspirations of West Lothian's communities.