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 dates11,977Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,072 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,638 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided10/080/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Grahamsha (Land Near), Skaill, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LR
Received 18 Feb 2010 - Decided10/081/PP
Install a roof-mounted ventilation plant
Kirkwall Health Centre, Balfour Hospital, New Scapa Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BH
Received 18 Feb 2010 - Decided10/082/PN
Remove a 2.4m dish and attach a 0.8m and 1.2m dish to existing tower
Ward Hill Radio Station, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RL
Received 18 Feb 2010 - Decided10/083/PN
Remove a 0.6m dish and attach a 0.3m dish to existing tower
Wideford Hill Radio Station, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TR
Received 18 Feb 2010 - Decided10/084/PP
Erect a house with integral garage
Skibbowick (Site 7) (Land Near), Tankeness, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 18 Feb 2010 - Withdrawn/Returned10/085/PP
Amend planning permission 09/057/PPF to change max. height of wind turbine generator from 15m to 18m
Stenso, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PJ
Received 18 Feb 2010 - Decided10/086/APN
Demolish a ruinous house and erect a GP shed
Burns O' Myre, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RF
Received 18 Feb 2010 - Decided10/087/PP
Amend planning permission 07/420/PPF to change house and garage type
Westshore (Site 8a) (Land Near), Burray, Orkney
Received 18 Feb 2010 - Decided10/088/PP
Erect a house with detached garage and polytunnel
Little Wards (Land Near), Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3PA
Received 18 Feb 2010 - Decided10/089/PP
Erect a polytunnel
Moncur Memorial Church, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AF
Received 18 Feb 2010 - Decided09/513/PP
Erect a replacement house with integral garage
Howe Farm (Land Near), Harray
Received 17 Nov 2009 - Decided10/090/PN
Replace 0.8m dish with 0.6m dish on existing pole
Kirkwall Generating Station, Great Western Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AN
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/091/PP
Replace existing bathroom window with a double-glazed sash and case window
2 Melvin Place, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DD
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/092/LB
Replace existing bathroom window with a double-glazed sash and case window
2 Melvin Place, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DD
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/093/PP
Extend a house
30 Royal Oak Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RF
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/094/PP
Convert and extend outbuildings to create additional accommodation
South Windbrake, Deerness, Orkney
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/097/PP
Amend planning permission 09/144/PPF to increase size of takeaway and add a flour silo
Argos Bakery, Cairston Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JS
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/098/PIP
Siting of a house
Deepdale Cottage (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3EX
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/099/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Hawin (Land Near), Northside, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LU
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/100/PP
Change of use from house to bed and breakfast guest house with living quarters
Burnside Farmhouse, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3LJ
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/101/APN
Demolish disused house and erect a GP shed
Midhouse, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/102/PIP
Siting of 2 houses
Snelsetter (Land Near), Longhope, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3PA
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Withdrawn/Returned10/103/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Snelsetter (Land Near), Longhope, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3PA
Received 23 Feb 2010 - Decided10/104/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (Resubmission of 07/054/PPO)
South Breck (Land Near), Firth, Orkney, KW17 2ET
Received 24 Feb 2010
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
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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