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 dates11,978Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,073 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 14 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided17/107/HH
Extend a house
Garaber, Heddle Road, Finstown, Orkney, KW17 2JX
Received 6 Mar 2017 - Decided17/108/PP
Erect a GP shed
Fersness Farmhouse, Westside Road, Eday, Orkney, KW17 2AA
Received 6 Mar 2017 - Decided17/109/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump for a farm worker and create an access
Bu' (Land Near), Gyre Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RD
Received 7 Mar 2017 - Decided17/110/PP
Reinstate and extend a house
Toonha (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BP
Received 7 Mar 2017 - Decided17/111/PP
Convert redundant mill to a house, extend, install an air source heat pump and create an access
Easthouse (Land Near), Toab, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 8 Mar 2017 - Decided17/112/PIP
Demolish redundant agricultural buildings and siting of three houses (2 x one for one and 1 x two for 1)
Boondatoon, Rerwick Road, Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 8 Mar 2017 - Decided17/113/PP
Reinstate a house, extend, install an air source heat pump and create a serviced site (two for one) and an access
Vellin (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LS
Received 8 Mar 2017 - Decided17/114/PP
Erect dwellinghouse with air source heat pump and create access
Windywalls, Grimeston Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JT
Received 9 Mar 2017 - Decided17/115/HH
Install an air source heat pump
14 Franklin Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DZ
Received 9 Mar 2017 - Decided17/116/LB
Install an air source heat pump
14 Franklin Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DZ
Received 9 Mar 2017 - Decided17/117/LB
Form gateway opening in boundary wall
Graemsay Cemetery, Kirk Road, Graemsay, Orkney
Received 9 Mar 2017 - Decided17/118/HH
Extend a house
The Retreat, Heddle Road, Finstown, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EG
Received 9 Mar 2017 - Decided17/119/HH
Extend a house
Eastaquoy Cottage, Lyde Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LA
Received 10 Mar 2017 - Decided17/120/PP
Erect a building to house a smokery and associated works
Clestrain (Land Near), Mount Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LL
Received 10 Mar 2017 - Withdrawn/Returned17/121/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Aviedale (Land Near), Rendall, Orkney
Received 13 Mar 2017 - Decided17/122/PIP
Siting of a replacement house and create an access
Glimps Holm (Land Near), Orkney
Received 13 Mar 2017 - Decided17/123/HH
Extend house and install air source heat pump
Glenanne, New Scapa Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BL
Received 14 Mar 2017 - Decided17/124/PP
Install a communications cabinet
Withi-gill (Land Near), Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3HA
Received 14 Mar 2017 - Decided17/125/HH
Intall an air source heat pump (retrospective)
Ingaskeldt, Deerness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1SS
Received 17 Mar 2017 - Decided17/126/HH
Extend house and install an air source heat pump
Croftness, Glaitness Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BA
Received 17 Mar 2017 - Decided17/127/PP
Erect house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump
Queen Elizabeth Way (Plot 14), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 20 Mar 2017 - Decided17/128/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump
The Brae, Grandon Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2ER
Received 21 Mar 2017 - Decided17/129/HH
Install a domestic septic tank
Whitehouse, Aikers Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TJ
Received 21 Mar 2017 - Decided17/130/MARSS
Screening and scoping request to create a salmon fish farm
Glimps, Holm, Orkney
Received 21 Mar 2017
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