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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided17/055/AD
Display 10 signs including illuminated logos and totem
Co-operative, Pickaquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, KW15 1RP
Received 3 Feb 2017 - Decided17/056/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access
Greenfield (Land Near), Carness Road, St Ola, Orkney
Received 3 Feb 2017 - Decided17/057/APN
Erect a GP shed
New Moan, Swartland Road, Sandwick, Orkney Islands, KW17 2JQ
Received 6 Feb 2017 - Decided17/058/MARCON
Subsea Power Hub tidal energy device at EMEC test site Shapinsay Sound located near Head of Holland, Orkney
Shapinsay Sound, Orkney
Received 6 Feb 2017 - Decided17/059/HH
Extend a house
Linksness, Linksness Road, Stronsay, Orkney Islands, KW17 2AT
Received 6 Feb 2017 - Decided17/060/MARCON
Install a HiWave device at the EMEC wave test facility off Howequoy Head, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Howequoy Head, Scapa Flow, Orkney
Received 6 Feb 2017 - Decided17/061/TC
Prune two mature trees
20A Main Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BU
Received 6 Feb 2017 - Decided17/063/HH
Install an air source heat pump
3 Robertsons Buildings, Laing Street, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, KW15 1GZ
Received 8 Feb 2017 - Decided17/064/AD
Display 9 signs including illuminated logos and totem
Co-operative Group Shop, Ferry Road, Stromness, Orkney Islands, KW16 3AE
Received 8 Feb 2017 - Decided17/065/APN
Erect a GP shed
Kirkbrae, Swanson Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DB
Received 8 Feb 2017 - Decided17/066/PP
Demolish redundant building, erect a house with integral garage, install air source heat pump and create access (following permission in principle - 15/142/PIP)
Newgarth (Plots 2 & 3), Sandwick, Orkney Islands, KW16 3JD
Received 10 Feb 2017 - Decided17/067/HH
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
Laing House, 59 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, KW15 1HQ
Received 10 Feb 2017 - Decided17/068/LB
Install an air source heat pump (retrospective)
Laing House, 59 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, KW15 1HQ
Received 10 Feb 2017 - Decided17/069/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Laurel Bank, Cromwell Road, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, KW15 1LH
Received 10 Feb 2017 - Decided17/071/PP
Change of use from shop (Use Class 1) to tearoom (Use Class 3)
19 Graham Place, Stromness, Orkney Islands, KW16 3BY
Received 13 Feb 2017 - Decided17/072/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Chapelbrae, North End Road, Shapinsay, Orkney Islands, KW17 2DZ
Received 13 Feb 2017 - Decided17/073/HH
Extend a house and install replacement timber door and windows (part retrospective)
6 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, KW15 1HP
Received 14 Feb 2017 - Decided17/074/LB
Demolish lean-to extension, extend a house and install replacement timber door and windows (part retrospective)
6 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, KW15 1HP
Received 14 Feb 2017 - Decided17/075/AMC
Erect house with detached garage and create access (following Planning in Principle 14/013/PIP)
Houth (Land Near), Houton, Orphir, KW17 2RE
Received 15 Feb 2017 - Decided17/077/PP
Change of use of outbuilding to craft workshop and studio and extend a house (amendment to 15/394/TPP)
Quoys, Papa Westray, Orkney, KW17 2BU
Received 20 Feb 2017 - Decided17/076/PP
Erect a slatted byre
Grimbust, Grimbust Road, Westray, Orkney Islands, KW17 2DE
Received 20 Feb 2017 - Decided17/078/APN
Erect a slatted court
Scomuir, Little Hunclett Road, Holm, Orkney Islands, KW17 2SA
Received 21 Feb 2017 - Decided17/079/PP
Erect a house with air source heat pump
Daisybank (Plot 7) (Land Near), Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 21 Feb 2017 - Decided17/080/HH
Extend a house
The Bu, Uppertown Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney Islands, KW17 2TW
Received 21 Feb 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