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 dates11,287Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 9,432 approved or refused records
422Refused applications
9,010 approved · 422 refused · 532 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided07/310/PPF
Erect dairy building
Seatter, St Ola, KW15 1TB
Received 21 May 2007 - Decided07/309/PPF
Extend a house
Hangaback, Gyre, Orphir
Received 21 May 2007 - Decided07/308/LB
Erect porch
Crook, Rendall
Received 21 May 2007 - Decided07/306/PPF
Extend a house
14 Hillside Road, Stromness, KW16 3AH
Received 21 May 2007 - Decided07/311/PPF
Erect domestic wind turbine
4 Grimond Place, Finstown, KW17 2UQ
Received 22 May 2007 - Decided07/312/APN
Erect GP shed
Howe Farm, Harray
Received 22 May 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/313/PPF
Erect a replacement house and garage
Shady-Nook, (land Near), Evie
Received 23 May 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/314/PPF
Erection of replacement house
Shady-Nook, (land Near), (site 2) Evie
Received 23 May 2007 - Decided07/315/PPO
Siting of a house and garage
Brookfield, (land Near), (Site 6), Rendall
Received 24 May 2007 - Decided07/316/PPF
Change of use to temporary amateur radio site and erection of mast
Heddle Quarry, Finstown
Received 25 May 2007 - Decided07/317/PPF
Extend existing lobster ponds
The Lobster Ponds, Pierowall, Westray
Received 28 May 2007 - Decided07/320/SCO
Scoping for erection of 900kw wind turbine
Sites T1-T3, Rousay (South East Corner)
Received 28 May 2007 - Decided07/085/PPF
Extension to provide staff room, toilets and additional kitchen facilities
Stromness Academy, Stromness,
Received 19 Feb 2007 - Decided07/321/SCO
Scoping for erect 900kw wind turbine
Burwick/Berriedale (Land Near), South Ronaldsay
Received 28 May 2007 - Decided07/322/SCO
Scoping for erect a wind turbine
Various Sites, Eday
Received 28 May 2007 - Decided07/323/SCO
Scoping for erect a wind turbine
Airy, Holland & Rothiesholm (Land Near), Stronsay
Received 28 May 2007 - Decided07/324/SCO
Scoping for erect 900kw wind turbine
Cross, Spurness & Newark (Land Near), Sanday
Received 28 May 2007 - Decided07/325/SCO
Scoping for erect a 900kw wind turbine
North Of Howe, Shapinsay
Received 28 May 2007 - Decided07/326/SCO
Scoping for erect 900kw wind turbine
Wee Fea & Ore Brae, Hoy
Received 28 May 2007 - Decided07/327/SCO
Scoping for erect 3 x 850kw wind turbines
Stromness Reservoir (Land Near), Stromness
Received 28 May 2007 - Decided07/318/APN
Extend GP shed
East Myre, Sanday
Received 29 May 2007 - Decided07/319/APN
Erect cattle court
Balaclava, Shapinsay, KW17 2DZ
Received 29 May 2007 - Decided07/329/PPF
Erect 9 houses
Middbigging, (land Near), Tankerness
Received 30 May 2007 - Decided07/328/PPF
Erect replacement house
South Moa, Rendall
Received 30 May 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
All planning guides
Understanding planning · 13 min read
Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
UK researchPublished Updated
Property research · 13 min read
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.
UK researchPublished Updated
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