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 dates11,499Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 9,625 approved or refused records
426Refused applications
9,199 approved · 426 refused · 545 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Withdrawn/Returned08/188/PPO
Siting of a house
Millhouse (Site 2) (Land Near), Lyness, Hoy
Received 7 Apr 2008 - Decided08/185/PPF
Extend a house
Vierhjem, Harray KW17 2LQ
Received 7 Apr 2008 - Decided08/186/PPF
Install septic tank for two houses
Avils, Frotoft, Rousay KW17 2PT
Received 7 Apr 2008 - Decided08/187/PPO
Siting of a house
Mucklehouse (Land Near), Brims, Longhope
Received 7 Apr 2008 - Decided08/189/PPR
Erect a house with integral garage
Clifton (Land Near), Dounby
Received 8 Apr 2008 - Decided08/190/PPF
Demolish existing house and outuildings and erect 4 semi-detached houses
Wivenhoe, Glaitness Road, Kirkwall
Received 8 Apr 2008 - Decided08/191/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Newton (Land Near), South Ronaldsay
Received 8 Apr 2008 - Decided08/192/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Braeland (Land Near), South Ronaldsay
Received 8 Apr 2008 - Decided08/193/PPF
Erect a house with integral garage
Scapa (Site 3) (Land Near), St Ola
Received 8 Apr 2008 - Decided08/194/PPF
Extend a house and erect boundary wall
4 Bogie Houses, Hillside Road, Evie KW17 2PL
Received 9 Apr 2008 - Decided08/195/PPF
Extend a house
Midhouse, Overbrough, Harray KW17 2LD
Received 9 Apr 2008 - Decided08/196/PPR
Convert barn to dwelling unit and erect extension
Milldam (Land Near), Tankerness
Received 10 Apr 2008 - Decided08/197/APN
Extend GP shed
Fingeo, Stronsay KW17 2AG
Received 10 Apr 2008 - Decided08/198/APN
Extend GP shed
Nessbreck, Harray, KW17 2LQ
Received 10 Apr 2008 - Decided08/199/PPF
Demolish existing house and erect 24 apartments and car parking
Station House, Ayre Road, Kirkwall
Received 14 Apr 2008 - Decided08/200/PPO
Siting of 3 houses
North Ronaldsay Manse & Glebe, North Ronaldsay
Received 14 Apr 2008 - Decided08/202/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Chinegar, Orphir,
Received 15 Apr 2008 - Decided08/203/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Upper Lerquoy, Orphir,
Received 15 Apr 2008 - Decided08/204/PPF
Extend a house
Greenataing, Shapinsay,
Received 17 Apr 2008 - Decided08/205/PPF
Extend a house
Stackaldbrae, Downie's Lane, Stromness, KW16 3EP
Received 17 Apr 2008 - Decided08/206/PPO
Siting of a replacement house
Quindry (Land Near), South Ronaldsay
Received 17 Apr 2008 - Decided08/207/PPF
Extend a house
18 Papdale Road, Kirkwall,
Received 18 Apr 2008 - Decided08/208/PPF
Alterations to 2 windows to form doors and reinstatement of a door from a window
37 & 39 Victoria Street, Kirkwall
Received 18 Apr 2008 - Decided08/209/LB
Renovations to interior, alterations to two windows to form new doors; re instatement of a door opening on front elevations; and installation of new sash and case double glazed windows
37 & 39 Victoria Street, Kirkwall
Received 18 Apr 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