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9,638 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided10/596/PP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 9m)
Flaughton Hill, Eday, Orkney
Received 9 Nov 2010 - Decided10/597/PP
Erect a replacement house and install an air source heat pump
Stoneywoo (Land Near), Harray, Orkney
Received 10 Nov 2010 - Decided10/598/PP
Erect a slurry store
Drydale, Kirbister, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HU
Received 11 Nov 2010 - Decided10/599/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Weardeth, Kirbister, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HU
Received 11 Nov 2010 - Decided10/600/PP
Convert redundant building to two semi-detached houses and install air source heat pumps
Netherbutton (Land Near), Holm, Orkney
Received 12 Nov 2010 - Decided10/601/PP
Change of use from disused water treatment works to a civil engineering contractor's storage yard and buildings
Wideford Treatment Works, Sunnybank Road, St. Ola, Orkney, KW15 1TP
Received 12 Nov 2010 - Decided10/602/PP
Amend planning permission 10/211/PP to install an air source heat pump
Upper Instabillie, Quoyloo, Sandwick, Orkney
Received 15 Nov 2010 - Decided10/603/LB
Add insulation to roof voids and ventilation to roof spaces
Tankerness House, 35 Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DH
Received 15 Nov 2010 - Decided10/604/PP
Erect four wind turbines (max.height 15m)
Orkney Auction Mart, Grainshore Road, Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1FL
Received 17 Nov 2010 - Decided10/605/PP
Extend a house to provide additional key worker/student accommodation
Upper Sunnybank, Hillside Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3HS
Received 17 Nov 2010 - Decided10/606/LB
Form a gated opening in stone boundary wall
Council Offices, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1NY
Received 17 Nov 2010 - Decided10/607/AMC
Erect a house
Nisthouse (Site 2) (Land Near), Harray, Orkney
Received 17 Nov 2010 - Decided10/608/APN
Erect a GP shed
Hill Of Hamar, Eday, Orkney
Received 18 Nov 2010 - Decided10/609/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Endorholm, Berstane Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1SZ
Received 19 Nov 2010 - Decided10/610/PIP
Siting of a replacement house (resubmission of 07/143/PPO)
Lynegar (Land Near), Hoxa, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 23 Nov 2010 - Decided10/611/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Dykend, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TJ
Received 23 Nov 2010 - Decided10/612/PP
Reinforce sea wall to provide protection against coastal erosion
Skara Brae, Sandwick, Orkney
Received 23 Nov 2010 - Decided10/613/APN
Erect a Dutch Barn
Hunton, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AE
Received 24 Nov 2010 - Decided10/614/PP
Demolish disused sheds and erect a conservatory
Easterbister, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 24 Nov 2010 - Decided10/615/AMC
Erect halls of residence and external store with associated access, parking, drainage and landscaping
Papdale Road/Papdale Loan (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 25 Nov 2010 - Decided10/616/AMC
Extend sports centre to add a swimming pool and squash courts with associated parking, drainage and landscaping
The Pickaquoy Centre, Muddisdale Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LR
Received 25 Nov 2010 - Decided10/617/AMC
Demolish existing structures and erect a primary school with associated access, parking, drainage and landscaping
Ferry Road (Land Near), (Access From Cairston Road), Stromness, Orkney
Received 26 Nov 2010 - Decided10/618/AMC
Demolish existing secondary school and erect a new secondary school and theatre with associated access, parking, drainage and landscaping
The Meadows (Land Near), Kirkwall Orkney
Received 26 Nov 2010 - Decided10/619/PP
Create an all weather sports pitch with associated fencing and floodlighting
The Pickaquoy Centre, Muddisdale Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1LR
Received 29 Nov 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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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