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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided11/640/PP
Erect a sun room, lean-to greenhouse and porch
Ryvoan Norseman Rendall Orkney KW17 2NY
Received 8 Nov 2011 - Decided11/641/SCR
Screening opinion request for wind turbines (various sites and turbines)
Berriedale (Land Near) Westray Orkney
Received 8 Nov 2011 - Decided11/643/TPP
Amend planning permission 10/511/PP to erect 2 x 20kW turbines (max height 19.98m)
Powdykes (Land Near) Broughton Westray Orkney KW17 2DA
Received 8 Nov 2011 - Decided11/645/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 27.2m)
Skaill Cottage (Land Near) Deerness Orkney KW17 2QJ
Received 9 Nov 2011 - Decided11/646/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 19.1m)
West Breckan (Land Near) Holm Orkney KW17 2RU
Received 11 Nov 2011 - Decided11/644/S36SCO
Scoping opinion request for proposed section 36 application for the Westray South Tidal Array
Tidal Array Westray South Orkney
Received 11 Nov 2011 - Decided11/647/PP
Erect a garage, re-roof part of existing house and install 4 sun tunnels
Skaebreck Quoyloo Sandwick Orkney KW16 3LS
Received 11 Nov 2011 - Decided11/648/TPP
Erect a house, create a new access and erect a wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Hunday (Land Near) Stronsay Orkney
Received 11 Nov 2011 - Decided11/649/PP
Amend planning permission 10/506/PP to alter outbuilding and extend a house to include an air source heat pump
Midtown, Hoxa South Ronaldsay Orkney KW17 2TW
Received 11 Nov 2011 - Decided11/650/LB
Re-roof house with existing slates
Saville Oyce Road Sanday Orkney KW17 2AZ
Received 11 Nov 2011 - Decided11/651/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 18.2m)
Tigh-Na-Ha Holm Orkney KW17 2RX
Received 11 Nov 2011 - Decided11/652/PP
Alter and extend a house and install an air source heat pump
Withacot St Mary's Road St Marys Holm Orkney KW17 2RT
Received 11 Nov 2011 - Decided11/653/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 18.2m)
Howes (Land Near) Deerness Orkney KW17 2QJ
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/654/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Chanctonbury (Land Near) Gorseness Road Rendall Orkney KW17 2EZ
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/655/PP
Alter existing house to provide ancillary accommodation and convert attached outbuilding into 2 houses with 2 air source heat pumps
Dyke Clestrain Orphir Orkney KW17 2RE
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/656/TPP
Amend planning permission 10/018/PP to change turbine type (max height 27.2m)
Grand View (Land Near) Stratheast Road Holm Orkney KW17 2SA
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/657/TPP
Amend planning permission 10/016/PP to change turbine type (max height 27.2m)
New Holland (Land Near) Holm Orkney KW17 2SA
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/658/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a wind turbine (max height 27.9m)
Inganess (Land Near) St Ola Orkney
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/659/SCR
Screening opinion request to erect a wind turbine (max height 27.9m)
Towerhill (Land Near) St Ola Orkney
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/660/PP
Erect a replacement house with an air source heat pump
Cooperhouse (Land Near) Birsay Orkney
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/661/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 19.1m)
Northmire (Land Near) Sanday Orkney KW17 2BA
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/662/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 19.1m)
Stove (Land Near) Sanday Orkney KW17 2BA
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/663/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 19.1m)
Westbrough (Land Near) Sanday Orkney KW17 2AY
Received 14 Nov 2011 - Decided11/664/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 19.1m)
Odinsgarth Sanday Orkney KW17 2BN
Received 14 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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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