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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided17/003/LB
Install concrete block brace structure within bellcote
Kirkwall East Church, King Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JF
Received 4 Jan 2017 - Decided17/004/PP
Install concrete block brace structure within bellcote
Kirkwall East Church, King Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1JF
Received 4 Jan 2017 - Decided17/005/PP
Install concrete mattress and concrete headwall
Garson Pumping Station, Stromness, Orkney
Received 4 Jan 2017 - Withdrawn/Returned17/006/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and create an access
Califer (Land Near), School Road, St Margarets Hope, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TW
Received 5 Jan 2017 - Decided17/007/LB
Install five air source heat pumps and create an opening
17 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 5 Jan 2017 - Decided17/008/PP
Install replacement windows and rainwater goods and paint walls
52-54 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 5 Jan 2017 - Decided17/009/LB
Install replacement windows and rainwater goods and paint walls
52-54 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 5 Jan 2017 - Decided17/010/PP
Install a 10m lattice tower
Highfield (Land Near), Warthill Road, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SD
Received 9 Jan 2017 - Decided17/011/PIP
Siting of a house and create an access
Hooan, Westside, Westray, KW17 2DD
Received 10 Jan 2017 - Decided17/012/HH
Extend a house and erect a detached garage (amendment to 13/017/PP) (retrospective)
Pool Cottage, Aikerskaill Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 12 Jan 2017 - Withdrawn/Returned17/013/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump and detached garage
Watersfield Crescent (Plot 6), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 13 Jan 2017 - Decided17/014/TC
Fell two trees
Garquoy, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AJ
Received 17 Jan 2017 - Withdrawn/Returned17/015/PP
Erect 16 houses, create accesses and landscaped amenity area
Grainbank (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 19 Jan 2017 - Decided17/016/WL
Extend outfall pipe
Login's Well, Stromness, Orkney
Received 19 Jan 2017 - Decided17/017/WL
Extend outfall pipe
Merrimans Noust Outfall, Stromness, Orkney
Received 19 Jan 2017 - Decided17/018/WL
Extend outfall pipe
Ferry Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 19 Jan 2017 - Decided17/019/WL
Extend outfall pipe
Alfred Street, Stromness, Orkney
Received 19 Jan 2017 - Decided17/020/PP
Change of use from day care centre to visitor centre
West Mainland Day Care Centre, Ireland Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3LB
Received 20 Jan 2017 - Decided17/021/HH
Erect a garage
10 Garrioch Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PL
Received 23 Jan 2017 - Decided17/022/PP
Reinstate two houses, including demolished upper floor, extend and re-roof, create an access, and install an air source heat pump
Breck Farm, Gorseness Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2EZ
Received 23 Jan 2017 - Decided17/023/AD
Display two signs (retrospective)
Marheath, Mill Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NL
Received 23 Jan 2017 - Decided17/024/PP
Erect a carport, install paving, render garage, part change of use from domestic to gallery/studio and install an air source heat pump (part retrospective)
Marheath, Mill Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NL
Received 23 Jan 2017 - Decided17/025/PIP
Siting of a house (one for one)
Queena (Land Near), Puldrite Road, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2EZ
Received 24 Jan 2017 - Decided17/026/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Breckmyres Farm (Land Near), Girnigoe Road, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2EB
Received 24 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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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