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9,638 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided11/118/PP
Demolish existing garage and erect a house
Holm Road (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1PY
Received 7 Mar 2011 - Decided11/119/PP
Extend a house for a disabled person
1 Earl Sigurd Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1QE
Received 9 Mar 2011 - Decided11/120/PP
Replace windows (retrospective)
Laing House, 59 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 9 Mar 2011 - Decided11/121/LB
Replace windows (retrospective)
Laing House, 59 Albert Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HQ
Received 9 Mar 2011 - Decided11/122/PP
Use of land to operate a continental market for a period not exceeding 10 days in any year
Kirk Green & In Front Of 42, Broad Street, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 9 Mar 2011 - Decided11/123/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 18.2m)
Crook, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RN
Received 10 Mar 2011 - Decided11/124/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Horsick (Land Near), Toab, Orkney, KW17 2QU
Received 10 Mar 2011 - Withdrawn/Returned11/125/TPP
Erect 2 wind turbines (T2 & T3) (max. height 67m) and install an access track
Ore Brae, Hoy, Orkney
Received 11 Mar 2011 - Decided11/126/PP
Extend a house
Aviedale, Rendall, Orkney, KW17 2PB
Received 11 Mar 2011 - Decided11/127/PP
Extend a house
Kaellan, Quoyloo, Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LU
Received 11 Mar 2011 - Decided11/128/PP
Amend planning permission 10/368/PP to change house type and install an air source heat pump
Wilderness (Land Near), Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 14 Mar 2011 - Decided11/129/VR
Vary condition 3 of outline planning permission 08/217/PPO to extend the consent for the siting of a house
South Windbrake (Plot 1) (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney
Received 14 Mar 2011 - Decided11/130/EB
Install an additional pole
Old Scapa Road (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 14 Mar 2011 - Decided11/131/TPP
Amend planning permission for two turbines (10/347/PP) to change approved turbine type from 2x max. height 15m to 1x max. height 27m and 1x max. height 20.1m and relinquish consent for turbines approved under 06/079/PPF (5 turbines) and 10/346/PP (one turbine)
The Steading, Langskaill, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DR
Received 15 Mar 2011 - Decided11/132/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 18.2m)
Shannon, St. Margaret's Hope, Orkney, KW17 2TH
Received 15 Mar 2011 - Decided11/133/APN
Erect a GP shed
Knowe, Sanday, Orkney, KW17 2AZ
Received 15 Mar 2011 - Decided11/134/MARSCR
Screening opinion request to remove 20 x 70m cages and replace with 12 x 90m cages and install a 75 tonne hexagonal feed barge
Chalmers Hope, Hoy, Orkney
Received 16 Mar 2011 - Decided11/135/PP
Erect an attached garage/boiler store
Aikerskaill, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 16 Mar 2011 - Decided11/136/PP
Erect a house with a detached garage and an air source heat pump
Grainbank (Plot 7) (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 16 Mar 2011 - Decided11/137/PP
Demolish part of existing house and erect an extension
Gossigair Cottage, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RN
Received 18 Mar 2011 - Decided11/138/PP
Carry out various external alterations, form a new gallery and extend a car park
Orkney Fossil & Heritage Centre, Viewforth, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SY
Received 21 Mar 2011 - Decided11/139/PP
Re-paint shop front
John Scott & Miller, 15-19 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 24 Mar 2011 - Decided11/140/LB
Re-paint shop front
John Scott & Miller, 15-19 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 24 Mar 2011 - Decided11/141/PP
Demolish existing portacabin, install a bicycle shelter, form a new external door and erect signage
Scottish Government, Tankerness Lane, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AQ
Received 24 Mar 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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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