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9,638 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided11/192/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
North Unigarth Farm (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney, KW16 3LT
Received 11 Apr 2011 - Decided11/193/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 18m)
Curlews, Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QJ
Received 11 Apr 2011 - Decided11/194/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Erin (Land Near), Bigswell Road, Stenness, Orkney, KW16 3LA
Received 12 Apr 2011 - Decided11/195/APN
Erect a GP shed
Eastabist, Dounby, Orkney
Received 12 Apr 2011 - Decided11/196/PIP
Siting of a house
Whitecleat (Plot 1) (Land Near), Tankerness, Orkney
Received 12 Apr 2011 - Decided11/197/PIP
Siting of a house
Whitecleat (Plot 2) (Land Near), Tankerness, Orkney
Received 12 Apr 2011 - Decided11/198/VR
Vary condition 3 of outline planning permission 08/218/PPO to extend the consent for the siting of a house
South Windbrake (Plot 2) (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney
Received 12 Apr 2011 - Decided11/199/TPP
Amend planning permission 10/468/PP for the erection of 3 wind turbines (max. height 15m) to erect a single turbine (max. height 46.5m), switchgear unit and temporary met mast (max. height 10m)
Hammer, Skelwick, Westray, Orkney, KW17 2DE
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/200/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 18m)
Midhouse Cottage, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2RY
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/201/TPP
Erect 3 wind turbines (max. height 19.5m) and install control kiosk
Warebeth, Outertown, Stromness, Orkney
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/202/PIP
Siting of 2 replacement houses
Midtown (Land Near), Herston, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RH
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/203/PP
Erect a house to form a terrace
Pickaquoy Loan (Plot 34) (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BZ
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/204/PIP
Siting of a house
Southernwood (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney, KW17 2QQ
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/205/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Valdigar (Land Near), Holm, Orkney
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/206/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
West Moss (Land Near), Holm, Orkney
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/207/PP
Install a dormer window and convert loft to living accommodation
Queer, Redland Road, Firth, Orkney, KW17 2EU
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/208/LB
Replace roof lights and carry out repairs to roof
24 High Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AZ
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/209/PP
Extend retail area and create additional storage
33 North End Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3AG
Received 13 Apr 2011 - Decided11/210/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Mariners Cottage (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 14 Apr 2011 - Decided11/211/PIP
Siting of a replacement house
Rose Cottage (Land Near), South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 14 Apr 2011 - Decided11/212/SCO
Scoping opinion request for 2 wind turbines (max. height 74m or 67m)
Binga Fea, Hoy, Orkney
Received 14 Apr 2011 - Decided11/213/PP
Construct a clamp silage pit
Sunnybank, Old Finstown Road, St. Ola, Orkney
Received 14 Apr 2011 - Decided11/214/PIP
Siting of 2 semi-detached self-catering units
Sandygill (Land Near), Orphir, Orkney
Received 14 Apr 2011 - Decided11/215/PP
Amend planning permission 10/638/AMC to change the orientation of the house and erect an integral garage
Lynnburn (Land Near), Holm Branch Road, Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 14 Apr 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