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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Withdrawn/Returned17/235/PP
Reinstate derelict house, extend and create and access
Quoypettie, Deerness, Orkney
Received 19 May 2017 - Decided17/237/HH
Erect a shed and install air source heat pump
Newhouse, Herston Road, Herston, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RH
Received 22 May 2017 - Decided17/238/HH
Erect a detached garden room
1 Logie Drive, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1ZT
Received 22 May 2017 - Decided17/240/PP
Change of use of land from agricultural to domestic and import soil
The Anchorage (Land Near), Scapa, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SD
Received 22 May 2017 - Decided17/242/HH
Erect a garden wall
Chaos, Petertown, Orphir, Orkney KW17 2RE
Received 23 May 2017 - Decided17/243/LB
Renovate and extend house
Breck Farmhouse, Rendall, Orkney
Received 23 May 2017 - Decided17/244/APN
Erect a GP shed
Howe Farm, Harray, Orkney KW17 2JR
Received 24 May 2017 - Decided17/245/HH
Extend a house and erect garage
8 Soulisquoy Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BY
Received 24 May 2017 - Decided17/246/PN
Install additional pole supports on overhead line
Barnhouse (Land Near), Stenness, Orkney
Received 25 May 2017 - Decided17/247/APN
Erect a GP Shed
Vetquoy, Sandwick, Orkney KW17 2JF
Received 26 May 2017 - Decided17/248/LB
Install an air source heat pump
5 Palace Gardens, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PB
Received 29 May 2017 - Decided17/249/HH
Install an air source heat pump
5 Palace Gardens, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PB
Received 29 May 2017 - Decided17/250/PP
Change of use from domestic garage to self-catering accommodation
Kevara, Maitland Place, Finstown, Orkney KW17 2EG
Received 29 May 2017 - Decided17/252/PP
Demolish a house, and erect a house with air source heat pump
Newhall, Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SZ
Received 29 May 2017 - Decided17/253/APN
Erect a GP shed
1 Lower Cloke, Cloke Road, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2HY
Received 30 May 2017 - Decided17/254/PP
Install benches and planters
Town Centre, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 30 May 2017 - Decided17/255/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
North Haven, Rackwick Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DN
Received 30 May 2017 - Decided17/257/PP
Erect temporary cabin
Hall Of Clestrain, Orphir, Orkney, KW16 3HB
Received 31 May 2017 - Decided17/258/PP
Extend car park
Shapinsay North Church, Shapinsay, Orkney
Received 25 May 2017 - Withdrawn/Returned17/259/PIP
Siting of a house
Essaquoy (Site 1), Bigland Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 31 May 2017 - Decided17/260/PIP
Siting of a house
Essaquoy (Site 2), Bigland Road, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 31 May 2017 - Decided17/261/PP
Erect a memorial
Twatt Airfield, Twatt, Orkney
Received 31 May 2017 - Decided17/262/PP
Erect a memorial
Skeabrae (Former Airfield), Sandwick, Orkney
Received 31 May 2017 - Decided17/263/LB
Install air source heat pump (retrospective)
14 Wellington Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AY
Received 31 May 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
All planning guides
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Planning permission drawings: how to read plans
Read planning drawings, floor plans, elevations and sections. Use labelled diagrams, a drawing comparison table and revision checks to understand a proposal.
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Planning approval rates: how to read council statistics
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