West Lothian Council is pressing ahead with a major new planning blueprint.

The Council Executive has approved a detailed follow-up report into the new West Lothian Local Plan.

A total of 503 objections were received to pre-adoption modifications to the local plan.

But the council has concluded that the majority should be rejected and there is no need for any of them to be considered at a public local inquiry.

Approval of the report now allows the council to submit the local plan to the Scottish Government with a view to it being adopted in early 2009.

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"This is an important stage in the development of our new local plan," said Executive councillor for development and transport Martyn Day.

"Agreeing to progress the local plan to adoption should give the development industry additional confidence to consider investment decisions in West Lothian during this period of economic uncertainty."

The local plan sets out the council's strategy for the next 10-15 years. It provides a framework for developments worth £1.5bn for Scotland's fastest growing area.

A report of a public local inquiry into the new West Lothian Local Plan supported the scale of growth planned within the core development areas at Armadale, Broxburn, East Calder, West Livingston/Mossend and Winchburgh.

Inquiry reporters concluded that the scale of housing proposed in the local plan - a total of 25,000 new homes across West Lothian - is likely to meet the targets required in the Edinburgh and Lothians Structure Plan.

(GK/JM)