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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided16/558/WL
Extend outfall pipe.
Garson, Stromness, Orkney
Received 22 Nov 2016 - Decided16/559/PP
Install two air source heat pumps (retrospective).
Julia's Cafe & Bistro, Ferry Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AE
Received 28 Nov 2016 - Unknown16/560/PP
Erect a house with integral garage, air source heat pump and create an access
Sandwick Community Centre (Plot 2) (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney
Received 28 Nov 2016 - Decided16/561/PIP
Siting of a house and create an access.
Ayreside (Land Near), Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NZ
Received 28 Nov 2016 - Decided16/562/PN
Install a telecommunications box.
Glenora (Land Near), Grainbank Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UA
Received 28 Nov 2016 - Decided16/563/PN
Install a telecommunications box.
Boardhouse Chalet (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LY
Received 28 Nov 2016 - Decided16/564/PN
Install a telecommunications box.
Arnish (Land Near), St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 28 Nov 2016 - Decided16/565/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump.
Dykeside, Corrigall Road, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2LQ
Received 29 Nov 2016 - Withdrawn/Returned16/566/HH
Extend a house.
Dunedin, Old Scapa Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BB
Received 30 Nov 2016 - Decided16/567/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access.
Wilderness (Plot 3), Holm, Orkney
Received 30 Nov 2016 - Decided16/568/PP
Construct new access.
Garth (Land Near), St Margaret's Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 30 Nov 2016 - Decided16/570/PP
Install two cabins to form a shop (for a temporary period of 2 years), erect two greenhouses and create parking area.
Northend (Land Near), Pierowall, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DF
Received 30 Nov 2016 - Decided16/571/CC
Demolish shed
Merriman's Noust, Stromness, Orkney
Received 1 Dec 2016 - Decided16/572/PP
Erect a care home, create an access and associated landscaping
Garson (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 5 Dec 2016 - Decided16/573/PP
Install an air source heat pump (Retrospective).
30 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 5 Dec 2016 - Decided16/574/PP
Create an exterior licensed area
The Commodore, St Marys, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RU
Received 5 Dec 2016 - Decided16/575/HH
Extend a house.
The Mad Hatter, Northside Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LU
Received 5 Dec 2016 - Decided16/576/HH
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective).
Koblenz, 1 Papdale Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JU
Received 5 Dec 2016 - Decided16/577/APN
Erect a GP shed.
Daisy Cottage (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 6 Dec 2016 - Decided16/578/PIP
Siting of 6 houses (one for one) and convert redundant building to a house (two for one), install a communal septic tank and create accesses.
Sunnyside Farm (Land Near), Old Finstown Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TR
Received 6 Dec 2016 - Decided16/579/HH
Install an air source heat pump.
3 Scapa Cottages, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SE
Received 6 Dec 2016 - Decided16/580/TPPMAJ
Erect four wind turbines (max capacity 14.4MW, max height 125m), erect a meteorological mast (max height 81m), substation and associated infrastructure (including access track)
Costa�Head (Land Near), Swannay, Orkney�
Received 9 Dec 2016 - Decided16/581/AD
Display signage.
63 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 9 Dec 2016 - Decided16/582/PP
Erect a house (amendment to 14/215/PP).
Rosemount Farm (Land Near), Rosemount Road, Sandwick, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JA
Received 12 Dec 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