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9,639 approved · 434 refused · 561 withdrawn.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 Counts reflect the last collected status; some records may be out of date.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
- Decided11/690/PP
Extend gallery to provide additional gallery and workshop space, and extend car park
Hoxa Tapestry Gallery, Hoxa, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TW
Received 22 Nov 2011 - Decided11/691/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 47m), anemometer met mast, switchgear kiosk and associated access track
Herston Head (Land Near), South Ronaldsay
Received 22 Nov 2011 - Decided11/692/PP
Amend planning permission 11/169/PP to erect a house to include an air source heat pump, increase site area for private drainage system and demolish existing cottage
Walkerhouse Cottage (Land Near) Birsay Orkney
Received 22 Nov 2011 - Decided11/693/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 18m)
Skerloom (Land Near) South Ronaldsay Orkney KW17 2TJ
Received 22 Nov 2011 - Decided11/694/TPP
Erect 2 wind turbines (max height 15m)
South House (Land Near) Guith Road Eday Orkney KW17 2AB
Received 22 Nov 2011 - Withdrawn/Returned11/695/TPP
Erect 2 wind turbines (max height 21m)
Redland (Land Near) Stromness Orkney KW16 3LN
Received 22 Nov 2011 - Decided11/687/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 27.2m)
Elsness (Land Near) Sanday Orkney KW17 2BL
Received 22 Nov 2011 - Decided11/696/PP
Install disabled access ramp
Kirkwall Sheriff Courthouse Watergate Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1PD
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Withdrawn/Returned11/697/LB
Install a disabled access ramp
Kirkwall Sheriff Courthouse Watergate Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1PD
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Decided11/698/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 18m)
Burns O'Myre (Land Near) Scorradale Road Orphir Orkney KW17 2RF
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Decided11/699/TPP
Erect 2 wind turbines (max height 19.1m)
Hermisgarth & Drummonds (Land Near) Sanday Orkney KW17 2AZ
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Decided11/700/TPP
Amend planning permission 11/200/TPP to change turbine type (max height 19.1m)
Midhouse (Land Near) Holm Orkney Kw17 2RY
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Decided11/701/PP
Erect an industrial building (amendment to 08/156/PP)
J & W Tait, (Unit 3), Sparrowhawk Road Hatston Industrial Estate Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1RE
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Decided11/702/PP
Change of use from a care home to an educational building
Scarva Taing Finstown Firth Orkney KW17 2ES
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Decided11/704/PP
Extend existing hair salon/post office and install an air source heat pump
The Cutting Room Dounby Orkney KW17 2HT
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Decided11/703/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 46.6m)
Ludenhill Farm (Land Near) Stoneymildars Swannay Orkney KW17 2NR
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Decided11/705/TPP
Erect 2 x 20kW wind turbines (max height 22m)
Corse (Land Near) St Ola Orkney KW15 1RZ
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Decided11/706/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 18m)
Housegarth (Land Near) Quoyloo Sandwick Orkney KW16 3LY
Received 25 Nov 2011 - Decided11/707/PP
Alter building to form 2 flats, including install new windows and slate roof
3 Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1HR
Received 29 Nov 2011 - Decided11/708/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 15m)
Gleat (Land Near) North Loch Road Sanday Orkney KW17 2BP
Received 29 Nov 2011 - Decided11/709/TPP
Erect 2 wind turbines (max height 17.8m)
Midhouse (Land Near) Fidgarth Road Birsay Orkney KW17 2LR
Received 29 Nov 2011 - Decided11/710/LB
Paint windows and doors
24 High Street Kirkwall Orkney KW15 1AZ
Received 29 Nov 2011 - Decided11/711/TPP
Erect a wind turbine (max height 17.8m)
Sanback Easting Road North Ronaldsay Orkney KW17 2BG
Received 29 Nov 2011 - Decided11/712/PP
Erect a house
Breckan Brae (Plot 50) (Land Near) St Mary's Holm Orkney KW17 2RR
Received 29 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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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