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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided11/388/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 19.4m)
Wasbister (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 14 Jul 2011 - Decided11/389/TPP
Erect 2 wind turbines (max. height 18m)
East Mire (Land Near), Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2BA
Received 14 Jul 2011 - Decided11/390/PP
Convert outbuildings to 3 houses and install solar panels and 3 air source heat pumps and demolish cottage
Scapa Farm, St Ola.
Received 14 Jul 2011 - Decided11/391/EB
Deviation of existing 11,000 volt overhead line
Newbigging, Birsay
Received 15 Jul 2011 - Decided11/392/PP
Erect a detached garage
Anchorage, St Ola, Kirkwall, KW15 1SD
Received 15 Jul 2011 - Decided11/393/PIP
Restore derelict building to a house and siting of a house
Adam Cottage, Harray, Orkney, KW17 2JA
Received 15 Jul 2011 - Decided11/394/PP
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
The Garden (Land Near), Rousay, Orkney KW17 2PR
Received 15 Jul 2011 - Decided11/395/PP
Alterations to existing store and demolish shed
Whitehouse, Finstown, Orkney, KW17 2EL
Received 15 Jul 2011 - Decided11/396/PP
Reinstate and extend dwelling, change of use of byre to dwelling and extend, erect two domestic outbuildings, and install new access road
Cellardyke, Deerness, Orkney
Received 19 Jul 2011 - Decided11/397/LB
Renovate and extend house and byre, including: new and replacement Orkney slate roofing; re-pointing existing walls; wet harl new walls; new and replacement sash and case, fixed pane and inward-opening casement windows; new and replacement doors; conservation skylights; cast iron rainwater goods; and internal partitions, linings and finishes
Cellardyke. Deerness, Orkney
Received 19 Jul 2011 - Decided11/398/SCR
Screening opinion request for a wind turbine (max. height 62m)
Lingro (Land Near), St. Ola, Orkney.
Received 19 Jul 2011 - Decided11/400/APN
Erect a GP shed
Nearhouse, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PT
Received 21 Jul 2011 - Decided11/399/EB
Deviation of existing 11,000 volt overhead line
Back Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 21 Jul 2011 - Decided11/401/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 18m)
Skaill (Land Near), Kirk Road, Eday, Orkney KW17 2AA Orkney KW17 2AA
Received 22 Jul 2011 - Decided11/402/APN
Erect a GP shed
Tifter, Tuquoy Road, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DR
Received 25 Jul 2011 - Decided11/403/VR
Vary condition 1 of full planning permission 06/276/PPF to extend the consent for 2 years and vary house type
Turnpike Farm, Toab, Orkney
Received 25 Jul 2011 - Decided11/404/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump
Vestabar, (Land At Rear), Pipersquoy Road, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1EF
Received 26 Jul 2011 - Decided11/405/PP
Amend planning permission 07/329/PP to install solar panels and an air source heat pump
Middbigging (Plot 7) (Land Near), Tankerness
Received 26 Jul 2011 - Decided11/406/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 18m]
Craebreck (Land Near), Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RX
Received 26 Jul 2011 - Decided11/407/PP
Extend a sun porch and erect decking
Upper Faulds, Southbreck Road, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2TA
Received 26 Jul 2011 - Decided11/408/PP
Erect a house and install an air source heat pump
Franklin Road, Stromness, Orkney
Received 26 Jul 2011 - Decided11/409/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 20.1m)
Ranganoust (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney, KW17 2RB
Received 26 Jul 2011 - Decided11/411/PP
Amend planning permission 10/217/PP to extend existing shed to granny flat
Avelshay, Rousay, Orkney, KW17 2PR
Received 27 Jul 2011 - Decided11/412/PP
Amend planning permission 11/082/PP to change house type
Land Between Joiner's Workshop & Car Park, Dounby, Orkney
Received 28 Jul 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
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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