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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided11/240/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max. height 18m)
Newton, Evie, Orkney, KW17 2NL
Received 21 Apr 2011 - Decided11/241/PP
Erect a house with integral double garage and an air source heat pump
Grainbank (Plot 14) (Land Near), Kirkwall, Orkney
Received 28 Apr 2011 - Decided11/242/PIP
Siting of a house
Old Lighthouse (Land Near), Deerness, Orkney
Received 28 Apr 2011 - Decided11/243/PP
Amend planning permission 10/105/PP to install a dormer window
Biggings, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RW
Received 28 Apr 2011 - Decided11/244/PIP
Siting of a house
Sandwick Community Centre (Plot 1) (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney
Received 28 Apr 2011 - Decided11/245/PIP
Siting of a house
Sandwick Community Centre (Plot 2) (Land Near), Sandwick, Orkney
Received 28 Apr 2011 - Decided11/247/AMC
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Stoneyhill Road (Plot 4) (Land Near), Harray, Orkney
Received 28 Apr 2011 - Decided11/248/AMC
Erect a house with an air source heat pump
Stoneyhill Road (Plot 5) (Land Near), Harray, Orkney
Received 28 Apr 2011 - Decided11/249/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Coolynn, Holm Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1RT
Received 29 Apr 2011 - Decided11/250/PP
Extend a house
Gerraquoy, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2NB
Received 29 Apr 2011 - Decided11/251/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Ocklester, Holm, Orkney, KW17 2SD
Received 29 Apr 2011 - Decided11/252/PP
Demolish existing garage and erect an extension with an integral garage
Kingston Cottage, Orquil Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1SA
Received 29 Apr 2011 - Decided11/253/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Ardage, Burray, Orkney, KW17 2SS
Received 29 Apr 2011 - Decided11/254/APN
Erect a GP shed
Airy Farm, Stronsay, Orkney, KW17 2AG
Received 29 Apr 2011 - Decided11/255/PIP
Siting of a house for a rural business
Lowerlands Of Midhouse (Land Near), Eastside, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 3 May 2011 - Decided11/256/PP
Re-roof using Welsh and Orkney roofing slates to match existing roofing, replacing any damaged Orkney slates using alternative Orkney or Caithness slates
19 Church Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BA
Received 3 May 2011 - Decided11/257/LB
Replace roof timbers and re-roof using Welsh and Orkney roofing slates to match existing roofing, replacing any damaged Orkney slates using alternative Orkney or Caithness slates
19 Church Road, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3BA
Received 3 May 2011 - Decided11/258/PP
Extend a slatted byre to provide cattle housing, slurry storage and general purpose storage
Newbigging, Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2ND
Received 4 May 2011 - Decided11/259/APN
Demolish a stone building and erect a GP shed
Kirbist, North Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2BE
Received 5 May 2011 - Decided11/260/PP
Extend a house and erect a conservatory and an attached double garage
Four Bells, Carness Road, St Ola, Orkney, KW15 1UE
Received 5 May 2011 - Decided11/261/PP
Convert a store building to create an interpretation room with ancillary facilities
Tomb Of The Eagles Visitor Centre, Liddle, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2RW
Received 5 May 2011 - Appeal decided11/262/PP
Erect a replacement house
Canada (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney, KW17 2JD
Received 6 May 2011 - Decided11/263/VR
Vary condition 2 of outline planning permission 07/659/PPO to extend the consent for the siting of a replacement house
Loretto (Plot 2) (Land Near), Herston, South Ronaldsay, Orkney
Received 6 May 2011 - Decided11/264/AMC
Erect a house
Palace Farm (Plot 5) (Land Near), Birsay, Orkney
Received 6 May 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 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