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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided11/589/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a wind turbine (max height 27.2m)
Lower Stanger (Land Near) Birsay Orkney KW17 2LZ
Received 21 Oct 2011 - Decided11/590/PP
Erect a house incorporating part of an existing garden shed
Whitehouse Lane (Land Near), Stromness, Orkney
Received 21 Oct 2011 - Decided11/592/TPP
Amend planning permission 10/524/PP to change turbine type (max height 18.2m)
Farewell (Land Near) St Margaret's Hope Orkney KW17 2TW
Received 25 Oct 2011 - Decided11/591/PP
Erect an annexe
Galaha Orphir Orkney KW17 2RB
Received 21 Oct 2011 - Decided11/593/TPP
Erect a house, construct access track and erect a wind turbine (max height 27.1m) and install switchgear within a redundant building
East Hammer (Land Near) Skelwick Westray Orkney KW17 2DE
Received 25 Oct 2011 - Decided11/594/PP
Erect a fenced pumping station compound to include a pumping station kiosk and access driveway, hammerhead and parking area, with associated underground works
Carness Road (Land Near) North Of Castlegreen Carness Orkney
Received 25 Oct 2011 - Decided11/595/PP
Extend a general merchants building to provide a cafe, store and office
Anchorfast Buildings Longhope Orkney KW16 3PG
Received 25 Oct 2011 - Decided11/596/PN
Replace existing 1.2m dish with 2 x 0.6m dishes on existing pole
Wideford Radio Site St Ola Orkney KW15 1TR
Received 26 Oct 2011 - Decided11/597/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a wind turbine (max height 46.6m)
Wideford Reservoir (Land Near) St Ola
Received 26 Oct 2011 - Decided11/598/PP
Replace existing windows, front door and rooflights
40 Victoria Street Stromness Orkney
Received 27 Oct 2011 - Decided11/600/PP
Extend living accommodation into disused commercial building, demolish parts of outbuildings and porch and erect a porch
Newquoy Sanday Orkney KW17 2AZ
Received 26 Oct 2011 - Decided11/601/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 15m)
Hammer (Land Near) Westray Orkney KW17 2DE
Received 27 Oct 2011 - Withdrawn/Returned11/602/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 34.5m)
Crantit (Land Near) St Ola Kirkwall Orknay KW15 1LG
Received 27 Oct 2011 - Decided11/603/PN
Remove existing 1.2m dish and attach 2 x 0.6m dishes to existing tower
Wardhill Radio Station South Ronaldsay Orkney KW17 2RL
Received 28 Oct 2011 - Decided11/604/PN
Install a 0.8m dish on existing tower
Milldoe Radio Station Milldoe Orkney KW17 2BA
Received 28 Oct 2011 - Decided11/605/APN
Erect a GP shed
Northskaill Sanday Orkney KW17 2AZ
Received 28 Oct 2011 - Decided11/606/PP
Install ground mounted solar panels
Polrudden Peerie Sea Loan Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1UH
Received 1 Nov 2011 - Decided11/607/PIP
Siting of a house
Clestrain (Land Near) Orphir
Received 31 Oct 2011 - Decided11/608/PP
Erect an extension to a workshop to provide storage for agricultural machinery and tractors
Plinnin Dounby Orkney KW17 2LG
Received 31 Oct 2011 - Decided11/609/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 15m)
Quarry House (Land Near) Stymilders Road Firth Orkney KW17 2JY
Received 1 Nov 2011 - Withdrawn/Returned11/610/PIP
Siting of a house for a rural business
Maraquoy (Land Near) Stromness Orkney
Received 31 Oct 2011 - Decided11/611/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Suiliven (Land Near) Birsay Orkney KW17 2ND
Received 31 Oct 2011 - Decided11/614/PP
Install an air source heat pump
Hellier Holm Hatston Park St Ola Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1TZ
Received 1 Nov 2011 - Decided11/615/TPP
Erect 2 wind turbines (max height 15.1m)
Hillhead (Land Near) St Ola Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1SX
Received 1 Nov 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