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 dates11,455Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 9,584 approved or refused records
426Refused applications
9,158 approved · 426 refused · 542 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided08/040/PPF
Erect a house
Northskail, Sanday
Received 17 Jan 2008 - Decided08/041/PPF
Erect replacement house (amended siting of house approved under 07/279)
Bron Queena, Harray
Received 18 Jan 2008 - Decided08/042/APN
Erect GP shed
Daisybank, Deerness
Received 18 Jan 2008 - Decided08/043/PPR
Erect 2 houses and construction of Phase 1 of estate road
St Mary's (Site H5, Site 1 & 2) (Land Near), Holm
Received 21 Jan 2008 - Decided08/044/PPR
Erect 8 semi-detached/terrace houses and estate road
St Mary's, (Site H5), Holm
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/045/PPF
Convert and extend byre to create Tea Room & Art Gallery
The Bu, Hoxa, St Margaret's Hope KW17 2TW
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/046/PPF
Erect conservatory
Dencraigon, Sandwick KW16 3JB
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/047/PPO
Siting of a guesthouse and holiday cottage
Grimsquoy, St Ola
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/048/PPF
Erect a house with integral garage
The Meadows (Site 30) (Land Near), Kirkwall
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/049/PPO
Siting of a house
Aberfield, Backaskaill, Sanday
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/050/PPF
Erect domestic wind turbine generator
Longhouse, Dam Of Hoxa, St Margaret's Hope
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/051/LB
Remove communion table, communion chair and eight light fittings
St Ninian's Church, Deerness
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/052/APN
Erect GP shed
Turnstones, Papa Westray KW17 2BU
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/053/PPF
Convert and alter garage to form office
Fea, Holm
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/054/PPF
Erect a house with integral garage
Burnside (Site 2) (Land Near), Harray
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/055/PN
Attach 2 antenna and 1 dish to existing tower
SSE Mildoe Radio Station, Rendall
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/056/PPF
Erect fish processing building
Beachway (Land Near), Broughton, Westray
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/057/PPF
Extend a house
Fairvue, Orphir KW17 2RB
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/058/PPF
Extend school to create a healthy living centre
Stronsay School, Stronsay
Received 23 Jan 2008 - Decided08/059/PPF
Erect replacement house
Egypt, Eastside, South Ronaldsay
Received 24 Jan 2008 - Decided08/060/PPF
Erect wind turbine generator (max. height 15m)
Banks, Northside, Birsay
Received 28 Jan 2008 - Decided08/061/APN
Erect GP shed
Lochend, Shapinsay KW17 2DZ
Received 28 Jan 2008 - Decided08/062/PPF
Installation of 1 900mm parabolic grid antenna onto existing lattice tower
Maraquoy, Stromness
Received 29 Jan 2008 - Decided08/063/PPF
Erect replacement house
Lower Fea (Land Near), Deerness
Received 29 Jan 2008
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