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 dates11,297Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 9,442 approved or refused records
422Refused applications
9,020 approved · 422 refused · 532 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided07/356/PPO
Siting of house
Chalmersquoy, (land Near), (site 3), Westray
Received 14 Jun 2007 - Decided07/357/PPO
Siting of a house
Trumland Farm, (land Near), Rousay, KW17 2PU
Received 14 Jun 2007 - Decided07/351/PPF
Extend a house
Raviehall, Twatt, Birsay
Received 14 Jun 2007 - Decided07/358/PPF
Extend a house
Flanders, Twatt, Dounby,
Received 14 Jun 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/359/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Savedale, (land Near), Stenness
Received 15 Jun 2007 - Decided07/360/PPF
Erect house (wooden chalet)
Whitehouse, Flotta
Received 19 Jun 2007 - Decided07/361/PPF
Erect a conservatory
Ingavoe Drive (Site 9) (Land Near), Kirkwall
Received 19 Jun 2007 - Decided07/362/PPF
Erect a house
3 Hillside Terrace (Land Near), Stromness
Received 19 Jun 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/363/LB
Erect a shop sign
54 Albert Street, Kirkwall
Received 20 Jun 2007 - Decided07/364/PPF
Install a septic tank
Braeside, Sanday, KW17 2BP
Received 20 Jun 2007 - Decided07/365/PPF
Extend a house
Aikerskaill, Deerness
Received 20 Jun 2007 - Decided07/366/PPF
Erect a house
Hunger-Him-Out (Land Near), Flotta
Received 20 Jun 2007 - Decided07/367/APN
Erect GP shed
Groo, Birsay
Received 20 Jun 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/368/PPF
Erect replacement house
Deasbreck, Dounby
Received 20 Jun 2007 - Decided07/369/PPF
Erect a house
Hillhouse, Skelwick, Westray
Received 20 Jun 2007 - Decided07/370/PPF
Erect GP shed
Brimbanks, Eday
Received 20 Jun 2007 - Decided07/371/APN
Erect bedded court
Virginia, Stenness, KW16 3HG
Received 21 Jun 2007 - Decided07/372/PPF
Erect a garage
Telephone Exchange (Land Near), Papa Westray
Received 22 Jun 2007 - Decided07/373/PPF
Erect a house and form access
Skeetquoy, Tankerness
Received 22 Jun 2007 - Decided07/374/PPF
Erect a house
Easdale, 27 Hillside Road, Stromness
Received 22 Jun 2007 - Decided07/375/PPF
Extend a house
Groatha, Eday
Received 22 Jun 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/376/PPF
Erect house and garage
Mount Pleasant (Land Near), Rapness, Westray
Received 22 Jun 2007 - Decided07/307/LBC
Demolish timber extension, convert bathroom to study and bedroom to bathroom
Millhouse Lyness Hoy
Received 25 Jun 2007 - Decided07/377/PPO
Siting of a house
Cornesquoy, Orphir
Received 25 Jun 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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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