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 dates11,901Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 9,998 approved or refused records
433Refused applications
9,565 approved · 433 refused · 560 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 19 Mar 1991 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 12 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided09/213/PPO
Siting of a house
Adelaide Cottage (Land Near), St Mary's, Holm, KW17 2RT
Received 7 May 2009 - Decided09/214/LB
Demolish 1950's store/welfare building
Noup Head Lighthouse, Westray
Received 11 May 2009 - Decided09/215/PPF
Use of surplus material from development of fire station to fill a former quarry and restore to agriculture
Nearhouse, Rousay
Received 12 May 2009 - Decided09/216/AD
Display a sign
The Odin Stone, 14 Junction Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1JV
Received 13 May 2009 - Decided09/217/PPF
Extend a house
Lythes, Longhope, KW16 3PA
Received 14 May 2009 - Decided09/218/APN
Erect a polytunnel
East Point, Hackness, Longhope, KW16 3PQ
Received 15 May 2009 - Decided09/219/PPF
Erect a wind turbine generator (max. height 15m)
Dennishill, Easting Road, North Ronaldsay, KW17 2BG
Received 15 May 2009 - Decided09/220/PPR
Renovation and rebuilding to form a house
Sunnybrae, North End, Sanday
Received 18 May 2009 - Decided09/221/PPO
Siting of a replacement house (re-positioning of site approved under 08/474/PPO)
Queena (Land Near), Swannay
Received 18 May 2009 - Decided09/222/PPF
Erect a self-catering chalet
Lyron (Land Near), Rendall, KW17 2NZ
Received 18 May 2009 - Decided09/223/PPO
Siting of a house
Hillfield (Land Near), Sanday, KW17 2AY
Received 18 May 2009 - Decided09/224/PPF
Erect a wind turbine generator (max. height 15m)
Spengar, Sandwick, KW16 3JD
Received 19 May 2009 - Decided09/225/PPF
Extend a shed
51 Alfred Street, Stromness, KW16 3DF
Received 20 May 2009 - Decided09/226/PPF
Extend a house and erect a garage
Stoneyhill, Burray, KW17 2ST
Received 20 May 2009 - Decided09/227/PPF
Erect a replacement house and a wind turbine generator (max. height 15m)
Biggings Farm (Land Near), Holm, KW17 2RX
Received 20 May 2009 - Decided09/228/PPF
Erect a replacement house and a wind turbine generator (max. height 15m)
Bridgend (Land Near), Old Finstown Road, Firth, KW15 1TS
Received 21 May 2009 - Decided09/229/PPF
Create a new access
Crowness Road, Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall, KW15 1RG
Received 25 May 2009 - Decided09/230/AD
Display 2 signs
Sheriff Court House, Watergate, Kirkwall, KW15 1PD
Received 25 May 2009 - Decided09/231/LB
Display 2 signs
Sheriff Court House, Watergate, Kirkwall, KW15 1PD
Received 25 May 2009 - Decided09/233/PPF
Erect a house with integral garage
Plot 27 (Land Near), The Meadows, Kirkwall
Received 26 May 2009 - Decided09/234/PPF
Install a 0.75m satellite dish and a sira panel broadcast antenna with ancillary development
Arqiva Site, Netherfield, Pierowall, Westray KW17 2DL
Received 28 May 2009 - Decided09/235/PPO
Siting of 2 houses
Site 3B (Land Near), Greenfield, Toab
Received 28 May 2009 - Decided09/236/PPF
Change of use of agricultural building to store and maintain vehicles, remove slatted floor and install 2 doors and an inspection pit
Millfield, Stronsay, KW17 2AF
Received 28 May 2009 - Decided09/237/PPF
Erect a replacement house
Diamonds (Land Near), Deerness
Received 28 May 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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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.
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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