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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided16/335/PP
Change of use from office (class 1) to office and retail (class 1 & class 2) and install an air source heat pump (part retrospective).
Micro, 28 St Catherine's Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HX
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/336/VR
Vary condition 1 of planning permission 14/159/PP to change the colour of the render to natural white with a scraped finish (retrospective).
Evie Primary School, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2PE
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/337/PP
Change of use of land to domestic, create an access and create a hardstanding.
Northolme (Land Near), Orquil Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SB
Received 1 Aug 2016 - Decided16/338/APN
Erect a agricultural shed
Hottit, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TH
Received 1 Aug 2016 - Decided16/339/PN
Remove 4 antennas, install 3 antennas, 3 remote radio units, 1 dish and ancillary apparatus.
Wideford Hill, Kirkwall
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/340/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Easkbank (Land Near), Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3EY
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/341/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Millhouse (Land Near), Tankerness, Orkney, KW17 2QR
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/342/PN
Install a telecommunications box
St Andrews Community Centre (Land Near), St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QU
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/343/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Arnish (Land Near), St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/344/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Harray Community Centre (Land Near), Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LB
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/345/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Caledonia (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SF
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/346/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Brayscklete (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SE
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/347/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Apeldoorn (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TR
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/348/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Clowigar (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SD
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/349/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Helmsdale (Land Near), Grainbank Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UA
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/350/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Strathgary (Land Near), Craigiefield Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UJ
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/351/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Orkney Aggregates Ltd (Land Near), Crowness Crescent, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1GJ
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/352/PN
Install a telecommunications box
Leaside (Land Near), Sunnybank Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TP
Received 29 Jul 2016 - Decided16/353/HH
Replace stone slates on rear roof plane with Welsh slates.
47 Dundas Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DA
Received 1 Aug 2016 - Withdrawn/Returned16/354/PP
Install a 15m lattice tower, install 3 antennas, 3 remote radio units, 2 dishes, 3 cabinets and erect a fence.
Orkney Aggregates Ltd, Crowness Crescent, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1GJ
Received 1 Aug 2016 - Decided16/355/PP
Alter windows to west and south elevation, retain caravan and outbuilding (retrospective).
Pictail, Horries Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 2 Aug 2016 - Decided16/356/PP
Install 2 air source heat pumps (retrospective)
Home-Start, 7 Main Street, Kirkwall, KW15 1BU
Received 1 Aug 2016 - Decided16/357/PP
Erect a storage shed (retrospective)
A Tait & Sons, Dounby, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HT
Received 2 Aug 2016 - Decided16/358/HH
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective).
28 St Catherine's Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HX
Received 3 Aug 2016
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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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