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
139Recorded 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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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: 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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided11/339/PP
Amend planning permission 09/448/PP to alter houses on sites 7 to 12 and 25
Pickaquoy Loan (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 17 Jun 2011 - Decided11/340/PP
Install a radar scanner at 10m on existing tower
Ward Hill Radio Station, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 17 Jun 2011 - Decided11/341/TPP
Erect 2 wind turbines (max. height 18.2m and 27.2m)
Quoydandy, Inganess Road, St. Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SR
Received 17 Jun 2011 - Decided11/342/TPP
Amend planning permission 10/525/PP to change turbine type (max. height 18m)
Braes, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 17 Jun 2011 - Decided11/343/TPP
Amend planning permission 08/254/PPF to increase turbine height (from max. height 67m to max. height 77m) and re-align access track
Sandy Banks, Eday, Orkney
Received 17 Jun 2011 - Decided11/344/PP
Form a coach lay-by including widening of the carriageway and an illuminated footpath and erect 2 advertisement flag poles and an illuminated, stone sign
The Orkney Brewery, Quoyloo, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LT
Received 17 Jun 2011 - Decided11/345/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Polrudden (Land Near), Peerie Sea Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 20 Jun 2011 - Decided11/346/PIP
Siting of a replacement house and a garage/boat shed
Walliwall (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 21 Jun 2011 - Decided11/347/PP
Erect a sun room
Polrudden, Peerie Sea Loan, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1UH
Received 21 Jun 2011 - Decided11/348/S36CON
Consultation on section 36 application for a 2.4MW wave energy development (Oyster 2)
European Marine Energy Centre, Billia Croo, Stromness, Orkney
Received 21 Jun 2011 - Decided11/349/PP
Erect a sun room
Kirkiuvag, 3 Hatston Park, St. Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UB
Received 22 Jun 2011 - Decided11/350/PP
Demolish porch and extend a house
East Cottage, Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RA
Received 22 Jun 2011 - Decided11/351/TPP
Erect 3 x 10kW wind turbines (max height 19m)
Lochside (Land Near), Westray, Orkney
Received 22 Jun 2011 - Decided11/352/PP
Amend planning permission 09/448/PP to alter plots 1-6, 13-24 and 26-31
Pickaquoy Loan (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 24 Jun 2011 - Decided11/353/PP
Convert and extend outbuilding and erect a link building to form an extension to house
Westerbister, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 27 Jun 2011 - Decided11/354/TPP
Erect a training centre and a wind turbine (max. height 18m)
Hatston Slip (Land Near), Grainshore Road, Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 27 Jun 2011 - Decided11/355/PP
Siting of a cabin for retail use with associated parking for a temporary period of 3 years
Casey Construction, Grainshore Road, Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1FL
Received 27 Jun 2011 - Decided11/356/AMC
Erect a replacement house with an integral double garage and an air source heat pump
Garth (Land Near), Netherbrough Road, Harray, Orkney
Received 27 Jun 2011 - Decided11/357/PP
Erect a slatted court
Braehead, Bu Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3JH
Received 28 Jun 2011 - Decided11/358/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 18m)
Little Wards, Kings Road, Longhope, Orkney, KW16 3PA
Received 28 Jun 2011 - Decided11/360/PP
Change of use of shop to office and residential, sub-divide upper floor flat into 2 flats, demolish shed and erect a house
96-100 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BU
Received 28 Jun 2011 - Decided11/361/PP
Change of use of store and garage to a house
15 Church Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BA
Received 28 Jun 2011 - Decided11/362/PP
Demolish outbuilding and extend a house
Woodwyn, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JU
Received 28 Jun 2011 - Decided11/363/PP
Convert outbuilding to self catering unit
Aglath, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3HA
Received 28 Jun 2011
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