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 dates11,977Searchable applications
140Recorded as pending
96%Approval rate · 10,072 approved or refused records
434Refused applications
9,638 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn. Received dates in our records: 24 Sept 1979 to 5 Oct 2026. Most recent record check: 12 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided10/424/PP
Erect a replacement house
Royston (Land Near), Grimness, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 6 Aug 2010 - Decided10/425/PP
Convert outbuilding to a house
Warrenfield, Bignold Park Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PT
Received 6 Aug 2010 - Decided10/426/VR
Vary condition 2 of planning permission 07/474/PPO to extend consent
Garth (Land Near), Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 11 Aug 2010 - Decided10/427/PP
Create a new access, a raised industrial area and a sand school
Crantit Dairy, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1RZ
Received 11 Aug 2010 - Decided10/428/PP
Erect a garage/workshop
Kah-Helya, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JR
Received 11 Aug 2010 - Decided10/429/PP
Convert outbuilding to create ancillary accommodation to adjacent house
5 Main Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BU
Received 13 Aug 2010 - Decided10/430/PP
Erect a house
East Heddle (Plot 4) (Land Near), Finstown, Orkney
Received 13 Aug 2010 - Decided10/431/PP
Extend a house
Cranfield, Cannigall Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SX
Received 17 Aug 2010 - Decided10/432/PP
Erect a house
Upper Crantit Road (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 17 Aug 2010 - Decided10/433/PP
Convert and extend outbuilding to create a house
West Breckan, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RU
Received 17 Aug 2010 - Decided10/434/PP
Convert and extend existing store building to create ancillary accommodation to existing house
West Breckan, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RU
Received 17 Aug 2010 - Decided10/435/AD
Replace signage and add an illuminated section
Boots The Chemist, 49 - 51 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 18 Aug 2010 - Decided10/436/PN
Install a 0.4m dish on to existing tower
Sanday Radio Station, Sanday, Orkney
Received 18 Aug 2010 - Decided10/437/PP
Erect a house
Storehouse (Plot 5) (Land Near), Holm, Orkney
Received 19 Aug 2010 - Decided10/438/PP
Replace roof covering to south elevation with natural black Spanish slate
Inner Urrigar, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2NJ
Received 20 Aug 2010 - Decided10/439/PP
Re-model and extend a house
The Old Schoolhouse, Twatt, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LZ
Received 20 Aug 2010 - Decided10/440/PP
Demolish existing stable block, erect an integral garage and re-model and extend a house
The Old Manse, Twatt, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2LZ
Received 20 Aug 2010 - Decided10/441/AMC
Details of a restaurant and drive-thru with ancillary staff accommodation
Pickaquoy Road (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 20 Aug 2010 - Decided10/443/PP
Demolish existing garage and erect a new shed
Central Garage, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SU
Received 24 Aug 2010 - Decided10/444/AMC
Erect a house with integral garage and air source heat pump
Greenfield (Site 4) (Land Near), Toab, Orkney, KW17 2QG
Received 24 Aug 2010 - Decided10/445/PP
Remove chimneys, re-roof and install an air source heat pump
Furrowend, Shapinsay, Orkney, KW17 2DY
Received 24 Aug 2010 - Decided10/446/VR
Vary conditions 12 and 13 of planning consent 08/252/PPF associated with noise limits
Howe, Shapinsay, Orkney
Received 24 Aug 2010 - Decided10/447/PP
Erect a replacement house
Midquoy (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RE
Received 24 Aug 2010 - Decided10/448/PP
Extend a house (retrospective)
Hyval, 19 Grainepark, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UL
Received 27 Aug 2010
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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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