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
139Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,074 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,640 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided17/369/LB
Install high level canopies of lights suspended between buildings
Quest Buildings, 27 - 29 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HL
Received 11 Aug 2017 - Decided17/370/LB
Install high level canopies of lights suspended between buildings
Skerryvore, 7 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 11 Aug 2017 - Decided17/371/LB
Install high level canopies of lights suspended between buildings
14A Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN
Received 11 Aug 2017 - Decided17/373/HH
Extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Whitesails, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3EY
Received 14 Aug 2017 - Decided17/374/TC
Crown lift, 10% crown thin and 20% crown reduction of mature tree
The Sycamores, 23 Church Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BA
Received 14 Aug 2017 - Decided17/375/LB
Display signage
103 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3BU
Received 14 Aug 2017 - Decided17/376/PP
Change of use from office to house and extend.
H M Coastguard Offices, Weyland Park, Kirkwall Orkney
Received 15 Aug 2017 - Decided17/377/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Peedie Kirk, 11 Palace Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PA
Received 16 Aug 2017 - Decided17/379/PP
Permanent construction of an access road, including section of footway and street lighting
Coplands Dock (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 16 Aug 2017 - Decided17/380/PP
Extend and carry out alterations to pumping station, oil tank and Romney hut, and associated landscaping
Museum, Scapa Flow Visitor Centre, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NT
Received 16 Aug 2017 - Decided17/381/TC
Minor pruning of one sycamore
The Strynd Tea Room, 7 Strynd, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1HG
Received 17 Aug 2017 - Decided17/382/AD
Display a projecting sign
4 Laing Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NW
Received 17 Aug 2017 - Decided17/383/PP
Change of use of part of distillery to tasting room and shop
Newhall, Stove Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 17 Aug 2017 - Decided17/384/PP
Erect four flats with air source heat pumps (retrospective) (material variation to 14/328/PP to relocate building footprint by 2.5m), install an access ramp, and amend window details, site boundary and parking
43 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AR
Received 21 Aug 2017 - Decided17/385/PN
Erect two lay legs at existing pole to create 3-pole structure.
Smerquoy Farm (Land Near), St Ola, Orkney
Received 21 Aug 2017 - Decided17/386/APN
Erect an agricultural shed.
Swartland, Swartland Road, Sandwick, Orkney KW17 2JQ
Received 21 Aug 2017 - Decided17/387/HH
Extend a house
Hestimuir, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SB
Received 22 Aug 2017 - Decided17/388/HH
Widen an access
Glenanne, New Scapa Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BL
Received 22 Aug 2017 - Decided17/389/HH
Re-roof existing house.
Fjogstad House, Sandwick, Orkney KW16 3HZ
Received 23 Aug 2017 - Decided17/390/HH
Extend a house
Einar, Eastquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LT
Received 24 Aug 2017 - Decided17/391/PP
Erect a house and create an access (amendment to 16/304/PP)
Lower Valley, Smoogro Road, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 24 Aug 2017 - Decided17/392/PP
Change of use from a shop to a house
Feastown, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2AY
Received 24 Aug 2017 - Decided17/393/PP
Erect a house with integral garage and install an air source heat pump
35 Hillside Road (Land Near) (Plot 2), Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HR
Received 28 Aug 2017 - Decided17/394/APN
Erect a GP shed
Housegarth, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LY
Received 28 Aug 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