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 dates11,244Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 9,394 approved or refused records
422Refused applications
8,972 approved · 422 refused · 532 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 1 Feb 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided07/233/LB
Attach aluminium sign to front railings
Kirkwall East Church, King Street, Kirkwall
Received 11 Apr 2007 - Decided07/235/PPF
Extend house to provide garage
Bow Of Linklater, St Margaret's Hope, KW17 2RN
Received 12 Apr 2007 - Decided07/236/PPF
Extend a house
The Harray Schoolhouse, Harray, KW17 2JR
Received 12 Apr 2007 - Decided07/237/PPF
Erection of Extension to accommodate Living Annex
Banks, Northside, Birsay, KW17 2LU
Received 12 Apr 2007 - Decided07/238/PPF
Erect a house with integral garage
Hilters, Longhope
Received 12 Apr 2007 - Decided07/239/PPF
Form hardstanding to site a fast-food van and bicycle hire shed
Downies, Deerness
Received 12 Apr 2007 - Decided07/240/PPF
Extend a house
Sandgarth, Shapinsay
Received 13 Apr 2007 - Decided07/241/PPF
Extend a house
Roselea, Herston, St Margaret's Hope, KW17 2RH
Received 13 Apr 2007 - Decided07/242/PPF
Extend a house
27 Franklin Road, Stromness, KW16 3DZ
Received 16 Apr 2007 - Decided07/243/PPF
Erect a boundary fence
Blachree, 7 Earl's Court, Kirkwall KW15 1XY
Received 16 Apr 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/244/PPF
Extend a house
Airy, Westray, KW17 2DD
Received 16 Apr 2007 - Decided07/245/PPO
Siting of a house
Thorshavn, Holm, KW17 2SA
Received 18 Apr 2007 - Decided07/246/PPF
Erect a house
Cotterochan, Westray, KW17 2DE
Received 18 Apr 2007 - Decided07/247/PPF
Site residential caravan
Daisybank, Longhope, KW16 3NY
Received 18 Apr 2007 - Decided07/248/PPF
Convert garage to en-suite bedroom and construct new roof
Newbigging, Dounby, KW17 2JQ
Received 19 Apr 2007 - Decided07/249/APN
Erect GP shed
Savisgarth, Evie, KW17 2PQ
Received 19 Apr 2007 - Decided07/250/APN
Erect un-roofed earth walled silage pit
Noltland Farm, Westray
Received 19 Apr 2007 - Decided07/251/PPF
Extend house to provide garage
10 Jib Park, Finstown, KW17 2HJ
Received 19 Apr 2007 - Decided07/252/PPF
Extend existing water treatment building
Binga Fea Hill, South Hoy
Received 20 Apr 2007 - Decided07/253/PPR
Erect a house
Lea, Birsay
Received 20 Apr 2007 - Decided07/255/APN
Erect GP shed
Suckquoy, South Ronaldsay
Received 20 Apr 2007 - Decided07/254/PPF
Erect a slatted court
Suckquoy, South Ronaldsay
Received 20 Apr 2007 - Decided07/257/PPO
Siting of a house
Leyhame (land Near), Cannigal Road, St Ola
Received 20 Apr 2007 - Decided07/256/PPF
Erect a house
Site 21 (land Near), Soulisquoy Place, Kirkwall
Received 20 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