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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided17/131/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump (part retrospective)
Crowsnest, Lowertown Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TL
Received 22 Mar 2017 - Decided17/132/PP
Install an air source heat pump (amendment to 16/515/PP)
The Royal British Legion, 9 - 11 John Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AD
Received 22 Mar 2017 - Decided17/133/PP
Erect a replacement house and create an access
Lower Bu, Warthill Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SD
Received 22 Mar 2017 - Decided17/134/MAR
Create a salmon farming site, comprising 16 x 120m circumference cages, 2 x 8 in a 70m grid and a 200t feed barge
South Cava, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 22 Mar 2017 - Decided17/135/TC
Fell a tree
Orcadia, Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NJ
Received 24 Mar 2017 - Decided17/136/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Queenalonga, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LG
Received 24 Mar 2017 - Decided17/137/PP
Erect 16 houses, create accesses and landscaped amenity area (amendment to 17/015/PP)
Grainbank (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 24 Mar 2017 - Withdrawn/Returned17/138/PPMAJ
Extend a quarry and continued extraction of stone
Cursiter Quarry, Old Finstown Road, Firth, Orkney, KW15 1TT
Received 27 Mar 2017 - Decided17/139/LB
Remove cement render, lime harl walls, and install replacement timber windows, metal rainwater goods, roof lights and roof vents
22 St Catherine's Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HX
Received 28 Mar 2017 - Decided17/140/HH
Remove cement render, lime harl walls, and install replacement timber windows, metal rainwater goods, roof lights and roof vents
22 St Catherine's Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HX
Received 28 Mar 2017 - Decided17/141/AMC
Erect a house (subdivision of domestic curtilage), install an air source heat pump and create an access (following permission in principle - 16/463/PIP) (amendment to 17/121/AMC)
Aviedale (Land Near), Puldrite Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PB
Received 28 Mar 2017 - Decided17/142/PP
Erect three replacement houses with air source heat pumps and create an access
Settiscarth, Cottisgarth Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PA
Received 29 Mar 2017 - Decided17/143/PP
Demolish and rebuild section of boundary wall and construct an access ramp
12 South End, Stromness, Orkney
Received 29 Mar 2017 - Decided17/144/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access (amendment to 08/547/PPF)
Quoy Of Houton (Land Near), Houton, Orphir, Orkney
Received 30 Mar 2017 - Decided17/145/HH
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
Burnside, Willow Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NJ
Received 30 Mar 2017 - Decided17/146/PP
Erect a house incorporating existing derelict house and create access
Ladysmith, Ireland Road, Stenness, Orkney
Received 30 Mar 2017 - Decided17/147/AMC
Convert and extend existing outbuilding to a house, install an air source heat pump and create an access (following Planning in Principle 16/578/PIP)
Sunnyside (Plot 2), St Ola, Orkney
Received 31 Mar 2017 - Decided17/148/AMC
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump
Sunnyside (Plot 3), St Ola, Orkney
Received 3 Apr 2017 - Decided17/150/PN
Relocate electricity transformer pole
Clestrain (Land Near), Stronsay, Orkney
Received 31 Mar 2017 - Decided17/151/PN
Install 11kV overhead electricity line
Catmuirhall & Balaclava Spurs, Flotta, Orkney
Received 31 Mar 2017 - Decided17/152/HH
Extend a house
Karlsham, Grainepark, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UL
Received 3 Apr 2017 - Decided17/153/PP
Extend a shed
East Cottage, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RA
Received 3 Apr 2017 - Decided17/154/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and air source heat pump
7 Grimsetter Drive (Plot C), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 3 Apr 2017 - Decided17/155/PP
Change of use from shop (Class 1) to office (mix of Class 2 and Class 4), and install roof lights and windows
33 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HL
Received 4 Apr 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