Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning application documents: what to read first
Understand planning application documents, officer reports and decision notices. Use a reading checklist, document table and worked example to inspect a case.
Scotland · Local authority
Orkney Islands
Planning applications.
Explore collected planning applications and decisions for Orkney Islands. Search an address, application reference or proposal to find a record.
Collected application statistics
Collected records · All available dates11,137Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
95%Approval rate · 9,296 approved or refused records
420Refused applications
8,876 approved · 420 refused · 524 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 4 Nov 2005 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 11 Oct 2026. Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.
Local planning information
Council sources checked 14 Sept 2026Planning information Planning and BuildingLocal plan Development and Marine Planning (policy)Pre-application advice Pre-application AdviceConservation areas Conservation Area Consent
Council contacts
- Planning enquiries01856873535Council source
- Planning enquiriesplanning@orkney.gov.ukCouncil source
Contact details were found on council pages. Check the source for opening hours and which enquiries the service handles.
Conservation areas and Article 4 directions
Explore published planning boundaries and follow their source records for designation details. Coverage varies: an empty map does not mean there are no restrictions. Check the council’s current maps and documents before relying on a boundary.
Conservation areas6 mapped area records
Article 4 direction areasBoundary dataset not connected
Interactive planning map loads with JavaScript. Dataset sources are linked below.
Download Article 4 coverage for all authorities (CSV)
Data downloaded 14 Sept 2026. Display boundaries are simplified and indicative. Map record counts are not a complete count of designations or directions.
Source: Historic Environment Scotland. Contains Historic Environment Scotland and Ordnance Survey data © Historic Environment Scotland – Scottish Charity No. SC045925 © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0. Data is indicative and may not contain the latest designations.
Explore application records
- Decided07/088/PPF
Erect house
Kenwood (Land Near), Newark Road, Harray
Received 22 Feb 2007 - Decided07/087/PPF
Extend house
Upper Cornquoy, Holm, KW17 2SD
Received 22 Feb 2007 - Decided07/086/PPF
Convert two flats to one house and erect extension
Braeside, Hillside Road, Stromness,
Received 22 Feb 2007 - Decided07/089/PPF
Erect house for farmer
Ramsquoy (Land Near), Stenness,
Received 23 Feb 2007 - Decided07/090/PPF
Extend a house
12 Kirklands Road, Kirkwall,
Received 23 Feb 2007 - Decided07/091/PPF
Convert agricultural building to house
Howe, Evie, KW17 2PJ
Received 23 Feb 2007 - Decided07/092/PPF
Erect replacement house
Burnlea, Orphir,
Received 23 Feb 2007 - Decided07/093/PPF
Erect replacement house
Bigging (Land Near), Beaquoy, Dounby,
Received 23 Feb 2007 - Decided07/094/PPF
Change of use of garage and games room to an arts and crafts centre with shop
Clifton, Stronsay, KW17 2AR
Received 23 Feb 2007 - Decided07/095/PPF
Convert building to house
Twatt Farm, Stenness,
Received 23 Feb 2007 - Decided07/096/APN
Erect polytunnel
Orkney College, East Road, Kirkwall
Received 23 Feb 2007 - Decided07/097/PPF
Erect shop front canopy and sign
Horse & Country, Junction Road, Kirkwall,
Received 26 Feb 2007 - Decided07/098/PPF
Erect slatted byre and demolish small outbuilding
Newbigging, Birsay,
Received 26 Feb 2007 - Decided07/099/PPF
Erect house
Site 26, Soulisquoy Place, Kirkwall,
Received 26 Feb 2007 - Decided07/100/PPF
Convert outbuilding to 4 cottages
Eastbrae, Stromness,
Received 26 Feb 2007 - Decided07/101/APN
Erect GP shed
Nisthouse, Evie,
Received 27 Feb 2007 - Decided07/102/PPF
Amended application (06/463) for a house to include the erection of a detached garage
Site 2, Westersands, Deerness,
Received 27 Feb 2007 - Decided07/103/PPF
Erect house
Windbreck, Rousay,
Received 27 Feb 2007 - Decided07/104/PPF
Amended application (06/345) Conversion to art gallery, toilet facilities and bed-sit accommodation
Former Burray Church, Westshore, Burray,
Received 27 Feb 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/105/PPO
Siting of house
Millhouse, South Ronaldsay,
Received 27 Feb 2007 - Decided07/106/EB
Erect additional wood pole
Finstown
Received 27 Feb 2007 - Decided07/107/APN
Erect GP store and sheep shed
Bayview, Stenness,
Received 28 Feb 2007 - Decided07/109/PPF
Extend a house
Braehead, Rousay, KW17 2PS
Received 28 Feb 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/108/PPO
Siting of house
Trumland Farm, Rousay, KW17 2PU
Received 28 Feb 2007
Records are ordered by application ID, not submission date. Use search to find a particular address or proposal.
View all applicationsResearching a proposal in Orkney Islands
Start with the address or application reference. Open a record to read the proposal, dates and available documents, then check the official register for the latest plans and consultation details. If nothing appears, check coverage before treating the result as a complete planning history.
Planning procedures in Scotland differ from those in England. Use the authority’s own guidance for application requirements, comments and decision timescales.
How to search planning applicationsGuides to planning records
All planning guides
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
UK researchPublished Updated
Property research · 13 min read
Planning approval rates: how to read council statistics
Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
UK researchPublished Updated
What these statistics cover
These figures describe applications collected by PlanningTrack for Orkney Islands, across all dates currently available. They are a partial dataset, rather than an authority-wide performance measure. The date range does not establish continuous historical coverage.
The approval percentage is approved records divided by approved plus refused records. Pending, withdrawn and unknown outcomes are excluded. No percentage is shown until there is an approved or refused record.
Check collection coverage