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 dates11,478Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 9,605 approved or refused records
426Refused applications
9,179 approved · 426 refused · 544 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided08/112/PPF
Erect a house with integral garage
Schoolha (land Near), Evie
Received 26 Feb 2008 - Decided08/113/PPF
Erect a house with integral garage
Ingavoe Drive, (Site 3), Kirkwall
Received 26 Feb 2008 - Decided08/114/PPF
Extend a house
3 Annfield Park, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1FR
Received 26 Feb 2008 - Decided08/115/CLEUD
Creation of an additional dwelling unit
Flats 1, 2 & 3, Maraquoy, Cairston Road, Stromness
Received 27 Feb 2008 - Decided08/116/PPF
Erect replacement house and convert existing house to shed
Vetquoy (Land Near), Twatt
Received 27 Feb 2008 - Decided08/118/PPF
Erect bedded cattle court
Howe, Stromness KW16 3JU
Received 27 Feb 2008 - Decided08/119/SCR
Construct school and reclaim land from seashore for playing fields (application for EIA Screening Opinion)
Lorry Park And Shore, North End Of Hamnavoe, Stromness
Received 28 Feb 2008 - Decided08/120/SCR
Construct school (application for EIA Screening Opinion)
Kirkwall Grammar School, Kirkwall
Received 28 Feb 2008 - Decided08/121/PPF
Erect Fresson Memorial Cairn
Wideford Farm (Land Near). St Ola
Received 3 Mar 2008 - Decided08/122/PPO
Siting of self catering unit and construction of vehicular access
North Aittitt, Rendall
Received 3 Mar 2008 - Decided08/123/PPF
Extend a house
Hillcrest, Tankerness KW17 2QR
Received 3 Mar 2008 - Decided08/124/VR
Remove conditions 6.1 & 6.2 attached to approval of 05/538 to allow seven units to be developed as detached houses and not restricted to being holiday lets
Former Salmon Farm, Inganess Bay, St Ola
Received 3 Mar 2008 - Decided08/125/PPO
Siting of a house
The Nook, Cromwell Road, Kirkwall
Received 3 Mar 2008 - Decided08/126/PPF
Erect portable unit and connecting corridor to existing surgery
Stromness Dental Centre, Garson, Stromness
Received 3 Mar 2008 - Withdrawn/Returned08/127/PPO
Siting of a house
Hurtiso (Site 2) (Land Near), Holm
Received 3 Mar 2008 - Decided08/128/PPO
Siting of a house
Hurtiso (Site 5) (Land Near), Holm
Received 3 Mar 2008 - Withdrawn/Returned08/129/PPO
Siting of a house
Hurtiso (Site 1) (Land Near), Holm
Received 3 Mar 2008 - Decided08/130/PPF
Erect a cattle court and storage building
Unigarth Farm, Sandwick KW16 3LP
Received 3 Mar 2008 - Decided08/131/PPF
Replace door and windows on building front
15 John Street, Stromness
Received 4 Mar 2008 - Decided08/132/PPR
Erect a house
Myrtle Cottage (Site 1) (Land Near), Harray
Received 4 Mar 2008 - Withdrawn/Returned08/133/LB
Removal of Hogback Stone from Church Building
St Ninian's Church, Deerness
Received 5 Mar 2008 - Decided08/134/PPF
Erect a house with integral garage
Kammerbusk (Land Near), School Road, St Margaret's Hope
Received 6 Mar 2008 - Decided08/135/PPF
Erect a house with integral garage
Clairlea, (land Near), Burray
Received 6 Mar 2008 - Decided08/136/PPF
Erect a garage
Airyview, Tankerness
Received 6 Mar 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