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 dates11,234Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 9,386 approved or refused records
422Refused applications
8,964 approved · 422 refused · 531 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 13 Sept 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided07/209/PPF
Erection of kitchen extension
Bruce's Stores, 55 Victoria Street, Kirkwall
Received 2 Apr 2007 - Decided07/210/PPF
Erect GP shed
Lower Cottisgarth, Rendall
Received 2 Apr 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/211/PPO
Siting of a house
Springs (Site 1) (Land Near) Burray
Received 2 Apr 2007 - Decided07/212/PPO
Siting of a house
Springs (Site 2) (Land Near) Burray
Received 2 Apr 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/213/PPO
Siting of a house
Springs (Site 3) (Land Near), Burray
Received 2 Apr 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/214/PPO
Siting of a house
Springs (Site 4) (Land Near), Burray
Received 2 Apr 2007 - Decided07/215/PPO
Siting of a house
Springs (Site 5) (Land Near), Burray
Received 2 Apr 2007 - Decided07/216/PPO
Siting of a house
Hurtiso (land Near), (site 4) Holm
Received 2 Apr 2007 - Decided07/217/PPO
Siting of a house
Hurtiso (land Near), (site 3) Holm
Received 2 Apr 2007 - Decided07/219/PPF
Erect a fence
11 Willowburn Road, Kirkwall, KW15 1NG
Received 2 Apr 2007 - Decided07/220/LB
Re-roof building and include insulation
Stromness Town Hall, Stromness
Received 4 Apr 2007 - Decided07/221/PPF
Erect canopy over proposed pumps
Ayre Service Station, Kirkwall
Received 5 Apr 2007 - Decided07/222/AD
Display 3 signboards
The Shore, 6 - 8 Shore Street, Kirkwall
Received 5 Apr 2007 - Decided07/223/LB
Erection of kitchen extension
Bruce's Stores, 55 Victoria Street, Kirkwall,
Received 5 Apr 2007 - Decided07/224/PPF
Erect a house for Holiday Accommodation Only
Quatquoy, (land Near), Firth
Received 6 Apr 2007 - Decided07/225/PPF
Extend a house and erect detached double garage
Keek, Scorradale Road, Orphir
Received 10 Apr 2007 - Decided07/226/PPO
Siting of a house
Old Lighthouse (land Near) (Site 1), Deerness
Received 10 Apr 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/227/PPO
Siting of a house
Old Lighthouse (land Near) (Site 2), Deerness
Received 10 Apr 2007 - Decided07/228/PPF
Extend a house
Eversti, Birsay, KW17 2NB
Received 10 Apr 2007 - Decided07/229/PPF
Siting of Diesel Tank
Palace Stores, Birsay, KW17 2LX
Received 11 Apr 2007 - Decided07/230/PPF
Dormer extension
Morvine, High Street, Kirkwall
Received 11 Apr 2007 - Decided07/231/PPR
Erect a house
Hyeres, (land Near), Back Road, Dounby
Received 11 Apr 2007 - Decided07/232/PPF
Erect a garage
Thorsten, Bigswell Road, Stenness, KW16 3LA
Received 11 Apr 2007 - Decided07/234/APN
Extend cattle shed
Vetquoy Farm, Twatt
Received 11 Apr 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
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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