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 dates11,313Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 9,455 approved or refused records
423Refused applications
9,032 approved · 423 refused · 534 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided07/431/PPO
Siting of a house
57 Junction Road (Land Near), Kirkwall
Received 12 Jul 2007 - Decided07/430/PPF
Erect a replacement house
Garth (Land Near), Tankerness
Received 12 Jul 2007 - Decided07/432/PPR
Erect a house with integral garage
Pumpwell (Land Near), Broughton, Westray
Received 12 Jul 2007 - Decided07/428/PPF
Erect a link corridor between offices
5 Broad Street, Kirkwall, KW15 1DH
Received 12 Jul 2007 - Decided07/429/LB
Erect a link corridor between offices
5 Broad Street, Kirkwall, KW15 1DH
Received 12 Jul 2007 - Decided07/427/PPF
Extend a house
Avelshay, Rousay
Received 12 Jul 2007 - Decided07/433/PPF
Alterations to shop front
68 Victoria Street, Kirkwall
Received 16 Jul 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/434/PPF
Siting of a house
West Side Road (Site 1) (Land Near), Shapinsay
Received 16 Jul 2007 - Withdrawn/Returned07/435/PPF
Siting of a house
West Side Road (Site 2) (Land Near), Shapinsay
Received 16 Jul 2007 - Decided07/436/LB
Erect replacement windows and doors
13-15 Dundas Street, Stromness, KW16 3BZ
Received 16 Jul 2007 - Decided07/437/PPF
Extend a house
Cherith, (Viewforth), Birsay, KW17 2ND
Received 16 Jul 2007 - Decided07/438/PPF
Erect 2 semi-detached houses
Ferry Road, (land Near), Stromness
Received 17 Jul 2007 - Decided07/439/PPF
Erect a replacement house
Barebreck, Grimness, South Ronaldsay
Received 17 Jul 2007 - Decided07/440/PPF
Reinstatement of house
Daisybank (Land Near), Deerness
Received 17 Jul 2007 - Decided07/441/PPF
Change of use to cafe
17 Broad Street, Kirkwall
Received 17 Jul 2007 - Decided07/442/LB
Change of use to cafe
17 Broad Street, Kirkwall
Received 17 Jul 2007 - Decided07/443/PPR
Erect a house
Nearhouse (Land Near), Grimeston, Harray
Received 19 Jul 2007 - Decided07/444/PPF
Erect a house
Millbounds, (land Near), Eday
Received 19 Jul 2007 - Decided07/069/PPF
Erect wind turbine
Holodyke (Land Near), Dounby KW17 2HZ
Received 22 Feb 2007 - Decided07/445/PPF
Erect a garden conservatory
20 Clay Loan, Kirkwall, KW15 1EB
Received 19 Jul 2007 - Decided07/446/PPF
Erect a house
Elwick Brae, Shapinsay
Received 20 Jul 2007 - Decided07/448/PPF
Extend a house
Windbreck, Lynnfield Park, Kirkwall, KW15 1SU
Received 23 Jul 2007 - Decided07/447/PPO
Siting of 2 houses
Sacquoy, (land Near), Burray, KW17 2SS
Received 23 Jul 2007 - Decided07/449/APN
Erect a cattle shed
Aikers, Tankerness, KW17 2QS
Received 24 Jul 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