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
137Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,076 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,642 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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- Withdrawn/Returned17/421/PIP
Siting of a house and create an access (in-fill development)
Husbrek (Land Near), Old Finstown Road, Firth, Orkney, KW15 1TS
Received 15 Sept 2017 - Decided17/423/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump (amendment to 17/315/PP)
6 Repeater Road, St Ola, KW15 1ZP
Received 18 Sept 2017 - Withdrawn/Returned17/424/PP
Erect a house with integral garage, install an air source heat pump, create an access and install infrastructure and services
North End Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 18 Sept 2017 - Decided17/425/HH
Extend a house
Byrgisey, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LT
Received 19 Sept 2017 - Decided17/426/PP
Install external insulation and replace windows and roof covering
Stromness Academy, Garson Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JS
Received 19 Sept 2017 - Decided17/427/PP
Install external wall insulation and re-roof
Shapinsay Primary School, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 19 Sept 2017 - Withdrawn/Returned17/428/PP
Erect a house with an integral garage and an air source heat pump and create an access (subdivision of curtilage)
Fea House, Tankerness Hall Road, Tankerness, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QS
Received 21 Sept 2017 - Decided17/429/PP
Erect a bus shelter and construct a car parking area (part retrospective)
Lambholm, Orkney, KW17 2ST
Received 22 Sept 2017 - Decided17/430/TPP
Erect a 6kW wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Northfield (Land Near), Denwick Road, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QL
Received 25 Sept 2017 - Decided17/431/HH
Install an air source heat pump (with timber housing)
43B Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 25 Sept 2017 - Decided17/432/PIP
Siting of a fishing industry building, including storage, offices and welfare facilities.
Kirkwall Pier, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 25 Sept 2017 - Decided17/433/PP
Construct tarred car parking, enlarge detention basin and culvert works (retrospective) (part amendment to 14/159/PP)
Evie Primary School, Evie, Orkney KW17 2PE
Received 26 Sept 2017 - Decided17/434/PP
Increase height of telecommunications tower from 20.7m to 25.3m.
Wideford Hill, St Ola, Orkney
Received 27 Sept 2017 - Decided17/435/PP
Erect a house with air source heat pump and create an access (amendment to 15/192/PP)
Biggings (Land Near), Biggings Road, St Andrews, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 28 Sept 2017 - Decided17/436/HH
Erect a garage
Little Muirs, Hoy, Orkney, KW16 3NY
Received 28 Sept 2017 - Decided17/437/HH
Install an air source heat pump, flue and remove a chimney (part retrospective)
3 Mill Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NL
Received 29 Sept 2017 - Decided17/438/PP
Change of use from garden ground to agricultural and erect a GP shed.
Heddle Cottage, Heddle Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2JX
Received 29 Sept 2017 - Decided17/439/PP
Extend community hall
Deerness Community Centre, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QH
Received 2 Oct 2017 - Decided17/440/HH
Extend a house
Quildon, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DU
Received 2 Oct 2017 - Decided17/441/LB
Extend a house
Quildon, Back Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3DU
Received 2 Oct 2017 - Decided17/442/PP
Erect a GP shed
Cairn House (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney KW17 2PT
Received 2 Oct 2017 - Decided17/443/PP
Extend a garden centre to create indoor recreation area and install two air source heat pumps
Wellpark Garden Centre, Mill Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NE
Received 3 Oct 2017 - Unknown17/444/PP
Erect a house with a detached garage (in-fill development)
Fernbank (Land Near), Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RZ
Received 4 Oct 2017 - Decided17/445/PP
Change of use from cafe to domestic to extend a house
Hoxa Tearooms, Uppertown Road, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TW
Received 4 Oct 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