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 dates11,612Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 9,727 approved or refused records
431Refused applications
9,296 approved · 431 refused · 553 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 18 Jan 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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.
More application records
- Decided08/578/PPF
Erect a house with integral garage
The Meadows (Site 28) (Land Near), Kirkwall
Received 22 Dec 2008 - Decided08/579/AD
Display a sign
Co-op, Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall
Received 22 Dec 2008 - Decided08/580/PPF
Extend a house
Karibu, Downie's Lane, Stromness, KW16 3EP
Received 22 Dec 2008 - Decided08/581/PPF
Extend a house
Brance, St Margaret's Hope, KW17 2TH
Received 24 Dec 2008 - Decided08/582/PPF
Erect 29 houses, construct road and install infrastructure
Grimond Place (Land Near), Finstown
Received 24 Dec 2008 - Decided08/583/PPF
Convert building into 5 apartments
Netherbutton, Holm
Received 24 Dec 2008 - Decided08/584/PPF
Convert building into a house
Grieveshouse Stenness
Received 24 Dec 2008 - Decided08/585/PPF
Erect a house
Longhope Church Of Scotland (Land Near), Longhope, Orkney, KW16 3NZ
Received 24 Dec 2008 - Decided09/001/PPF
Extend a house
New Vola, Twatt, KW17 2JQ
Received 7 Jan 2009 - Decided09/002/PPF
Erect new slurry store, demolish sheep house, roof existing midden and re-roof 3 existing byres
Campston, Toab
Received 9 Jan 2009 - Decided09/003/PN
Install 2 x 22cm diameter antenna
Papa Westray Airport, Papa Westray
Received 9 Jan 2009 - Decided09/004/PN
Install 2 x 0.6m dishes to existing tower
Ward Hill Radio Station, South Ronaldsay
Received 9 Jan 2009 - Decided09/005/PPR
Erect 7 houses
St Mary's (Site 11-17) (Land Near), Holm
Received 9 Jan 2009 - Decided09/006/PPF
Erect a nissen hut
Baikies Stores (Land Near), Finstown
Received 9 Jan 2009 - Decided09/007/APN
Erect a bedded court
Beaquoy, Dounby
Received 9 Jan 2009 - Decided09/008/PPF
Erect 10 Houses
Taftingus (Land Near), St Margaret's Hope
Received 13 Jan 2009 - Decided09/009/PPF
Create hard standing and electrical hook-ups for caravans (retrospective)
Deerness Community Centre Deerness
Received 13 Jan 2009 - Decided09/010/APN
Erect GP shed
Longhouse, Bloomfield Road, St. Ola
Received 13 Jan 2009 - Decided09/011/CLEUD
Use of land for storage of machinery and containers (application for certificate to prove this is a lawful established use)
Storage Area, Heddle Road, Finstown
Received 14 Jan 2009 - Decided09/012/PPF
Extend and re-roof garage
41 Reid Crescent, Kirkwall, KW15 1UD
Received 15 Jan 2009 - Decided09/013/PPF
Convert post office/shop - to be incorporated into existing house
61 French Road, Lyness, Stromness, KW16 3NT KW16 3NT
Received 15 Jan 2009 - Decided09/014/PPF
Extend a house
Warburton-Lee, St Rognvald Street, Kirkwall
Received 16 Jan 2009 - Decided09/015/PPF
Extend a house and provide additional parking area
New Howar, Orphir, KW17 2RF
Received 16 Jan 2009 - Decided09/016/PPF
Extend a house
Little Quoys, Deerness
Received 16 Jan 2009
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
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Understand planning approval rates with an interactive calculator, worked examples and comparison table. Check sample sizes, outcomes and coverage before comparing.
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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