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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided16/583/TC
Prune four trees
The Royal Bank Of Scotland, 1 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DP
Received 12 Dec 2016 - Decided16/584/TC
Crown reduction of mature tree and prune four trees
Clairness, 3 Dundas Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JQ
Received 12 Dec 2016 - Decided16/585/HH
Erect a garage.
Latherbare, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney
Received 14 Dec 2016 - Decided16/586/PP
Erect a general purpose shed (part retrospective).
Upper Stove (Land Near), Stove Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 16 Dec 2016 - Decided16/587/AMC
Erect a house with integral garage and create an access (following permission in principle - 15/446/PIP).
Kiama (Land Near), Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NA
Received 16 Dec 2016 - Decided16/588/VR
Remove condition 6 of planning permission 16/210/PP that limits occupation.
Withaquoy (Land Near), Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 16 Dec 2016 - Decided16/590/HH
Extend a house.
39 Scapa Crescent, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RL
Received 16 Dec 2016 - Decided16/591/PP
Erect a GP shed and re-roof an existing building.
Charleston, Central Road, Papa Westray, Orkney, KW17 2BU
Received 16 Dec 2016 - Decided16/592/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump.
Ben-meri, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HS
Received 16 Dec 2016 - Decided16/593/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump and create an access. (amendment to 14/434/AMC).
Loretto (Plot 2) (Land Near), Herston, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 19 Dec 2016 - Decided16/594/SCR
Screening opinion request to create a quarry.
Gallo Hill (Land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 16 Dec 2016 - Decided16/595/APN
Erect a GP shed.
Hyval (Land Near), Northdyke Road, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LS
Received 19 Dec 2016 - Decided16/596/PN
Install additional pole and install an 11kV overhead line.
Newark Farm, Sanday
Received 19 Dec 2016 - Decided16/597/APN
Erect a GP shed.
Garth Farm (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HU
Received 19 Dec 2016 - Decided16/598/APN
Erect a GP shed.
Farafield (Land Near), Durkadale Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JD
Received 20 Dec 2016 - Decided16/599/PP
Erect a cable marker board.
Ayre Of Cara, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 20 Dec 2016 - Decided16/600/PP
Erect a cable marker board.
Manse Bay, South Ronaldsay
Received 21 Dec 2016 - Decided16/601/PP
Install five air source heat pumps and create an opening
17 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 21 Dec 2016 - Decided16/602/PP
Erect a house (subdivision of curtilage).
Mossclair (Land Near), Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QR
Received 21 Dec 2016 - Decided16/603/PP
Change of use from a house to a guesthouse (Class 7) and extend.
Bon-Accord, New Scapa Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BT
Received 21 Dec 2016 - Decided16/604/LB
Install utilities ducting and chambers, install new and replacement timber fenders, and replace timber capsil with galvanised steel pipe.
Gill Pier, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DL
Received 22 Dec 2016 - Decided16/605/HH
Install two air source heat pumps (retrospective)
Thistlebank, 17 Franklin Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DZ
Received 23 Dec 2016 - Decided17/001/LB
Form bathroom, install two internal doors and other minor internal works
Graemeshall House, Graemeshall Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RX
Received 4 Jan 2017 - Decided17/002/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access
6 Franklin Road (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AN
Received 4 Jan 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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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